Imhotep's Slave
by PineFlowerSap
Summary: In ancient times Imhotep had a Hebrew slave girl, Katriel (OC) who secretly had fallen for him. She does not think Anck-su-Namun's love is true and gives up her ancient life for a more opportune time to save him. Story takes place in ancient and movie times. As with all my stories this will have no explicit content. *Disclaimer: I do not own The Mummy Returns. Obviously.
1. Ancient Times, chapter one

_Ancient Times Chapter 1_

* * *

 ** _Imhotep's Chambers:_**

Imhotep sat down on his carved chair, his chamber curtains flowing gently in the breeze. Torchlight reflected the hieroglyphed walls and ornate furnishings with an orange-gold hue that transformed the room into one of warmth as well as opulence.

"Katriel." Imhotep said, gently removing his golden and silver rings from his fingers.

A slave, with long, curly, dark hair tied back in a turquoise band and wearing the wool cloth of the Hebrews, came in bearing a water vessel. Imhotep, high priest of anubis, allowed his slave to dress in the modest cloth as he saw no reason not to respect the decree of all known and unknown gods. The Hebrew God being the most conservative of all.

Katriel poured the water from the vessel into the golden basin before Imhotep, then held out an ornate bowl for his rings which he set in. Imhotep raised his arms and Katriel removed his black and gold priest robe and set it up on its stand as Imhotep leaned forward, cupped cool water up and poured it over his face and head. He reached out for the waiting cloth in Katriel's hands and patted his face off.

Katriel bowed, face low to the floor as he stood, "Does my master require anything else?"

"No, you may g-" Suddenly Imhotep paused, head turning slightly, "No…How long have you served me?"

"Ten years, master." Katriel kept her head bowed, "Ever since I was taken to the temple to serve you at eleven years old."

"And you have served me well these ten years, haven't you?" Imhotep said, looking down at her with a small smile. Mind whirring with a new thought.

Katriel raised her eyes cautiously, to see his open palm gesturing for her to stand. Katriel slowly stood, her brown eyes on Imhotep's dark, shiny eyes.

"You are my faithful servant, are you not?" Imhotep said, "And I have treated you well?"

"Yes, master." Katriel replied, bowing her head.

Imhotep's smile grew slightly wider, "What would you do, to continue to serve me?"

Katriel lifted her head, wide eyes fixing on Imhotep, "Anything, master."

Imhotep smirked, nodding. Taking a few steps back he retrieved a roll of papyrus and cut a small section off, quickly inscribing it with ink. He fanned the glyphs gently to dry them, then rolled up the paper, sealing it with an ornate tie.

He held it up to his slave, "Take this, deliver it to the chambers of Anck-su-Namun. Tell no one but her I gave this to you."

Katriel blinked, looking at the small roll of parchment. Cautiously she lifted her fingers and took it, hiding it in the palm of her hand.

Imhotep smiled, "My faithful servant."

Katriel averted her eyes, bowed her head, and slowly departed from the room. Imhotep smiled, closing his eyes in pleasure as the cooling air of Thebes wafted about his room from the balcony.

…

Closing the door of her master's room Katriel slowly and carefully took a deep breath, squeezing the tiny roll in her hand. Moisture already starting to wick at the papyrus from her palm as her heart raced. In a moment she turned and walked calmly down the hallway, bare feet padding the polished floor silently. She pretended not to notice the palace guards as she passed them, or their weaponry. Never before had she paid them much attention. Never before had she been carrying a clearly forbidden note.

Never before had such a note been written from her master to anyone, regardless of the clearly forbidden nature. But was it clearly forbidden?

Katriel's sinking heart, as she turned corner after corner down corridors, told her otherwise. If she held anything in her hidden palm right now to Anck-su-Namun, the most beautiful woman in the palace, it was a love note.

Thinking quickly Katriel took a side route to the slave quarters. Head down she raced quickly through the attached rooms, hoping she wasn't too late. Suddenly she saw the slave she wanted, Adina.

The long-haired Hebrew kept her hair plated with beaded ties, she was washing in a basin in the women's washroom, getting herself ready to serve her mistress.

Katriel was very prompt in her service, the other slaves were thankfully a little more lax in attending to their masters, making them later in their duties. It gave Katriel the opportunity she desired.

"Adina, I must ask a favor of you." Katriel said, quietly checking to ensure they were not being overheard.

Adina looked up at her, "Hm?"

"Please allow me to attend to your mistress tonight. I have heard rumors of her beauty and truly I have seen her before in glimpses, but I should like to visit her up close, as I have never been able to view her for any length. Please." Katriel said.

"You wish to serve the lady, Anck-su-Namun?" Adina frowned.

"Yes, I will owe you a favor." Katriel smiled.

"Well…they are strict about who attends her…but I suppose it would be alright. All men of course are forbidden there. I am meeting with Ehud tonight, to meet him earlier than curfew start would be nice…" Adina thought.

"Ehud is very handsome. What fortunate timing for you, I could not have asked on a more opportune night." Katriel laughed lightly, feeling beads of cold sweat start to form on her brow.

"Alright, " Adina said, "What could it hurt? Mistress if very strict about her cares though, I will walk with you to the door, and explain to you the correct procedures. Her hair is the most difficult. You must be careful not to touch her skin, of course. The ink has already been painted on her tonight by Miriam and it smudges easily when other human skin touches it."

Katriel nodded, heart skipping frantically. Together they walked side by side down the torch lit halls, Adina explaining the steps to attending to Anck-su-Namun. Katriel tried very hard to listen carefully, but her head wrapped around the note as tightly as her fingers did.

Too soon they arrived at the door, guarded not by two ordinary palace guards, but two Medjai. Adina approached them, giving a few coughs. Katriel stood a step behind, feeling her heart move to her throat, making it difficult to swallow.

"I am not feeling well enough to attend the lady Anck-su-Namun, the slave Katriel will be attending to her in my place tonight." Adina said, making her voice hoarse.

The two Medjai looked between Adina and Katriel with brief, black stares. One spoke, his voice deep, "Our orders are strict not to allow anyone but Anck-su-Namun's servants."

Adina raised a painted eyebrow, "I am sure pharaoh would not like the lady Anck-su-Namun to get sick from her serving girl. I have brought a replacement here personally, I am sure my illness is not great, but I do not think we should risk spreading it to my mistress. If you disagree, however…."

The Medjai looked at one another.

"It shall be allowed tonight." The one said.

Katriel kept her head bowed as she entered in through the large door of Anck-su-Namun's personal chambers. Shutting the door behind her she looked up.

Anck-su-Namun. Hair black as ebony and skin a creamy tan lounged on a cushioned sofa, draped in a white linen dress. Her painted tattoos rose to the surface around her neck, face, arms and even feet. They appeared to curl and swerve down beneath the fabric the dress as well. Pharaoh's way to keep her from being touched by anyone but him. A prison with bars that could be painted on a body.

Anck-su-Namun's almond eyes looked up in apathy at Katriel, her makeup done thickly and as beautifully as the Princess'. If not a little more enticingly….

A perfectly penciled eyebrow raised upon taking her in, "What are you doing here?"

Katriel bowed low, using her best Egyptian, "My lady, I am here to take Adina's place for the night."

She hoped she sounded alright, she only ever used Hebrew with Imhotep. It was easier for her and Imhotep didn't mind it. He was a man of great learning, demonstrating his abilities with language was just one of the many things he was greatly proficient with.

With pursed lips, Anck-su-Namun viewed her, "Hmph." Leaning herself up on the couch she picked at the fruit laid before her in a bowl on the table, "I do not tolerate mistakes, I hope you have been prepared for this well, or I will call the guards."

Looking around the room carefully, Katriel approached Anck-su-Namun, bowing down directly before her she spoke in hushed tones, "I would beg my lady's patience as my purpose here is not for simply serving you, but for serving my master, Imhotep, high priest of anubis."

"Imhotep? The Pharaoh's advisor?" Anck-su-Namun sat up, voice intrigued.

"He begs me deliver this to you, and for your eyes only." Katriel lifted the small, tightly rolled up scroll.

Anck-su-Namun hesitated, eyes wide as she looked from the slave girl to the note. Reaching out she took the scroll and unraveled the tie, reading carefully.

Katriel kept her eyes on the ground as Anck-su-Namun read the note. There was a long silence before Katriel finally looked up, to see the lady staring off into space, note clasped tightly in her hand.

Heart leaping, Katriel wondered if perhaps she had been wrong? Could her master, strong and gentle, handsome and powerful, with eyes as deep and dark as the night sky have sent pharaoh's most beautiful and talented concubine nothing more than a simple note? Maybe even a negative response to any advances she had made in secret to him? A reminder for her to attend more religious ceremonies?

Anck-su-Namun's eyes turned slowly to see Katriel watching her, suddenly voice clipped and cold she spoke, "Well, you said you were here to serve me. Start."

Katriel bowed and began to do her best to remember all that Adina had instructed her on during the journey there. She was certain she messed up at least twice, but Anck-su-Namun's eyes were far away and not paying any attention to the slave the entire time. Finally, the lady was ready for the night, she would not be seeing Pharaoh that night and was wiped of her facial make up and had her waxed hair tied back. She was still more beautiful than any woman in the palace. Or Thebes. Or probably all of Egypt.

Katriel, cautiously optimistic, did not speak a word the entire time. Perhaps she had misinterpreted her master's meaning, Anck-su-Namun's cold demeanor could be a confirmation of that.

Finally done, Katriel bowed and as always she asked, "Does my mistress require anything else?"

Imhotep was usually finished with her early, having very little cares for her to attend to at night, and rarely was there more to be done after she asked this question. She was almost completely used to walking away after asking, and her mind preoccupied with other things, she was not readied for the words spoken next:

"Yes. Tell lord Imhotep that I accept his advance, and I will meet him tomorrow at noon, in the courtyard. He can remain unseen on the back side of the statue of horus, so we may speak."

Katriel froze in her bow, heart stopping. _No._

 _No. No. No. No. No._

Rising slowly she turned her back on Anck-su-Namun and walked back towards the door.

"Hold. Slave."

Katriel stopped.

"Pour my cup before you leave."

Katriel turned, bowed, and walked to the table where the cup and water vessel were. She poured the cup full and turned around again.

"Well, bring it here!" Anck-su-Namun said, annoyed.

Katriel did, setting the cup on the side table beside the lady's bed, "My lady."

"Hmph. Go now." Anck-su-Namun said, turning her head away.

Katriel did not bow out again, but promptly turned and left the room. Closing the door behind her. She faced the Medjai guards, "The lady is done for the night."

They nodded briefly and Katriel turned, making her way back to the servants' quarters in case anyone was watching, a note to deliver no longer clenched in her hand, but burning in her heart.


	2. Ancient Times, chapter two

_Ancient Times Chapter 2_

* * *

 ** _Servant's Quarters:_**

On entering the servant's quarters she noticed that most servants were not in, the older ones were sleeping in their beds though. Adina was no where to be seen.

Katriel washed in the common basin, wiping the sweat from her skin. She looked down at her reflection once the ripples subsided, and smoothed her fly-away a towel she cleaned the outline of her make up to make it neater, having been smudged slightly in the work of getting Anck-su-Namun ready for bed.

Taking a deep breath she steadied herself, looking constantly at her reflection. Her eyes were brown, like her hair, with a shaped nose and no ornamentation decorating her features in anyway save the colored hair band. She had larger legs than Anck-su-Namun, who herself was thin and toned. The sun baked away any blemishes on Katriel's face, but her skin was still light, having most of her time spent inside or at night when anubis ceremonies were held and Imhotep needed her to get ready for them before his priests came; who alone could touch the ceremonial cloth he wore then.

Thoughts came from her reflection, unkind and treacherous:

 _Look at you, how could he want you? Even if you were not a slave, you are not beautiful enough to tempt such a man! And you are a slave! Of course he would not want you, you've always known that! What did you expect, a man like that to stay single forever? Ha! You are not half so beautiful as Anck-su-Namun. And now both her and Imhotep will be playing a dangerous courting game, you're putting his life and yours at risk by helping him with this! He will die and it will be your fault! You shouldn't tell him what she said. Tell him she refused him. Tell him and how would he find out it wasn't the truth? He would not talk with her again. He would never know. But if he found out, he would cast you away forever and you would never see him again. You'd die of starvation in the streets with the dogs as he courted Anck-su-Namun and got himself killed doing it. How could she do this to him? She was not happy to see his letter! She cannot love him! Not as I do! She will destroy him and he would let her! I could kill her…._

Shocked, Katriel looked away from her reflection. She couldn't listen to such thoughts...but to tell her master the message that burned her to hold would certainly destroy everything. And everyone.

But it was not hers to hold. Perhaps, she could twist a bit? Tell him everything that happened, from her coldness to her unwillingness to first accept his advance? It was something.

Katriel slowly walked out and made her way back up to her master's room, the way she knew best and favored best. Torch light guiding her through orange halls decorated with colorful scenes from recent and past histories and legends. Her heart feeling like it was ever sinking in her chest as she drew nearer to the room.

Over the past many years her heart would leap and her skin would sometimes even flush at going to attend her master, but now she felt numbness and pallor creeping over her forehead and limbs.

Approaching the intricately carved double doors of gold-laid wood she knocked softly before slowly entering the room, closing the doors behind her.

...

Imhotep had not gone to bed. He stood, leaning against the balcony wall beside the curtain, looking up at the stars from in his room. He turned, hearing her, excitement glowing on his face. His chest moving up and down rapidly, warm skin lighted by the orange torches to glow golden.

Katriel averted her eyes, looking down at the ground as she bowed, "The lady Anck-su-Namun wishes to meet with you tomorrow at noon, you may speak to her from behind the horus statue in the courtyard. She was intrigued by your title, but I would be remiss if I did not inform you she did not appear pleased after reading your note."

"What do you mean, when you say she was not pleased? She wishes to meet me, doesn't she?" Imhotep said, his voice changing from its normally collected and calm tone to one of intensity.

"Forgive my observation. She received the letter coldly, I know not why. Before I left she instructed me to tell you all that I have and dismissed me. This is all I have for my master, I beg that the news please you." Katriel bowed down on the floor submissively. The feeling of bitterness overwhelming the worry that she might have crossed a boundary.

There was silence for a long while and Katriel chanced a glance up to see Imhotep thinking. His eyes were focused on several far off points that he looked between constantly. Katriel did not speak and waited, haltingly wondering now if she would be in trouble for her observation.

Imhotep had never in all the ten years she had served him, been angry with her. There were times when something had clearly been bothering him, but his composure was always kept. He had never struck her and she had never heard of or seen him strike anyone else. Ever. He was a calm, intelligent man who more often than not smiled and found humor in things that other men would lose their tempers over. Ambitious and strong, he rose steadily in position with his composed demeanor. When she was taken to serve in the palace at a young age, he had been apprentice to the high priest and was kind and even friendly towards her. One of her first memories of him was when she was alone and scared, having spilled a jar of incense all over the floor, and instead of yelling or striking he had done a magic trick and winked at her. Always since then, he had been the most handsome man she had ever seen. Always.

Katriel was disturbed now to see him looking so worried. Speaking quietly, she nearly whispered, "If I may…the lady did want to meet you. She may also have not at first recalled your name, perhaps trying to think while I was preparing her for bed. Any woman would return your affections, I am sure."

Suddenly Katriel saw Imhotep's bare feet before her. She looked up, tentatively. His dark eyes staring down at her as he spoke, "Then why tell it to me as you did, if you think this?"

Katriel bowed her head so it touched the cool, hard floor, "My master is a powerful man, out of the lady's own lips was the question asking if you were the adviser to pharaoh. I felt that no woman would resist you but that first the lady fell in love with your title before your words. I wish only to serve you and continue doing so."

"You think Anck-su-Namun loves only power, and would warn me about her? Do you not think I have considered all that I risk in pursuing her, that I would not hold such things into account? And yet she has accepted to meet me. You would warn me not to go?" His voice was not the same anymore. It was a strict voice, harder than she could ever remember hearing it. In it tinged a lightning flash of warning.

She kept her head bowed down, not daring to move. Katriel had never spoken out so clearly in opposition before, and had never heard this tone in him directed at her.

"Leave."

Katriel quickly backed away, keeping her head bowed, she hurried out the doors. Not daring to look at him or anything else. She closed the doors behind her and took off down through the hall. Running fast until she was outside. The starlit night shown above her and she leaned against the rock wall of the palace, feeling tear streaks run down her face as she gulped in air, feeling her chest squeeze with every unhappy feeling she had ever felt in her life all at once.


	3. Ancient Times, chapter three

_Ancient Times Chapter 3_

* * *

 ** _Anck-su-Namun's Chambers:_**

Anck-su-Namun twisted the paper in her hand, the possibilities whirling in her mind.

She had been cursed by beauty, her mother training her to sell as a bride for a wealthy man since she was old enough for her looks to matter. It wasn't until her twentieth year that pharaoh first glimpsed her, and coveted her. Three years of intense training, some of which against the Princess Nefertiri, had shaped her to be a fitting escort and protector of the old man.

The filthy old man. He could have been old enough to be her father, or grandfather. Yet he wanted her to be his. His only. She was not free even to scratch an itch on her body, being entirely covered in tattoos that smudged at the slightest hint of human contact to ward off any who might try to touch her against the greedy, covetous pharaoh's wishes.

She was not a free woman, not here.

Anck-su-Namun sat up, twisting the paper, rolling it and unrolling it. Never had a man attempted to contact her. She was off limits. She was pharaoh's. And yet…

The advisor, high priest of anubis.

If anyone had the strength to free her from this prison, a loveless dreaded prison covered in kohl and perfume, it would be someone like this…what was his name?

 _Imhotep._

She thought vaguely of her meetings around the royal court, when pharaoh brought her out to showcase her talents and grace. Anck-su-Namun scoffed, she could choke on grace and talent, it had secured her nothing but miseries. But when she had been brought out…Imhotep had been there.

She closed her eyes and thought, incense stinging her nose as she lay on her bed. For even when she was not called on she had to saturate herself in only the finest oils and incense and perfumes. The scents made her sick.

Imhotep was the one who wore the black during ceremonies to anubis. His head was always clean shaven, and he was not fat or thin or short like the rest of the court. He was healthy and muscular, young but old enough to hold such a high position. Perhaps into his early thirties.

His priests followed him like he was the sun itself, loyalty like that spoke of power.

Now that she thought on it, he was not wholly an unattractive man, had she not once even caught herself staring at him? And had he not stared back? Not that, at the time, she knew his name. She recalled glistening, dark eyes.

Anck-su-Namun opened her almond eyes suddenly, feeling her heart flutter.

This was dangerous.

But the thought of being freed, and living away from pharaoh's eyes and touch was so great when the slave brought her that paper…

She would talk with this Imhotep. At the very least, having risked this much, she could see what sort of man he was. For who could ever stand up to pharaoh, and go against his wishes? What sort of man was that?

It was intriguing. Filled with a hope she tried to suppress she wondered deep in her heart, as she lay in silence, if this man was her path out of a life she had never wanted.

…

 ** _Imhotep's Chambers:_**

Imhotep paced in his room, the night stars glittering outside his balcony. Night never bothered him, having to serve the lord of the dead, he was used to performing ceremonies at night and he preferred staying up when it was dark out to when it was light.

It was a good time for thinking.

Anck-su-Namun had agreed to meet him. Of course his slave would see what he had predicted, that Anck-su-Namun would first only see his title. But she would meet with him, know his heart, and surely fall as in love with him as he was with her. His title would secure the meeting, while his heart would secure hers.

It was perfect.

Imhotep's plan was starting in motion and he could not be happier or more excited. He should sleep, but that was not going to be possible this night. Not now that she had accepted him.

Imhotep stepped out on the balcony, smiling widely up at the stars in the sky. His prayers and plans were being answered. Soon, the forbidden fruit of pharaoh's orchard would be his.

Anck-su-Namun: The woman whose skin was inlaid with gold, whose hair shone as an oasis's pool at night, whose lips were as plump as a pomegranate. She was lethal like an asp and as graceful as a cobra. She had struck his heart with her venom the moment their eyes caught, and now he must win her…or die.

Imhotep breathed in the Egyptian night, never having before smelled sweeter. As if on wine he gazed at all of Egypt, feeling more powerful than even pharaoh. Though he knew he was not, and to take Anck-su-Namun from him would mean death. Death for the pharaoh or him. Setting his hands on the hard balcony's stone he cared not, tonight he felt more alive than a high priest of death ever could. Oh how deeply he felt emotions, and how carefully expressed they always were. But his smiles, never could he hide them. Humor and pleasure was found in most everything, and tonight was a night for smiling.

She would meet him.

Looking over the city he saw the guards of Thebes walk up and down the streets, fires from torches lit up doorways and the people were still partly awake in the houses below the palace, shown from the glow they emitted with their lights inside. Imhotep's head turned about, taking in the scene before him-a night more beautiful and calm had rarely been seen. Without at first realizing what he was looking at, he found after a moment that his eyes had rested on a figure. Beside the palace wall a figure crouched, half in shadow.

Imhotep frowned, turning his attention to the figure, recognizing something about it.

 _His slave._

The figure wore the cloth of his Hebrew slave, Katriel. He raised an eyebrow, what was his slave doing out after curfew? Imhotep looked back out to the city, he hardly cared.

From his perch on the balcony Imhotep could see the streets winding through the open palace structure, separating and conjoining wings and buildings of the gigantic stone monument. A couple guards were walking down the street below him. Imhotep watched them vacantly, eyes flickering up to his slave still sitting up against the wall.

She would not see them coming up, a jutting from a building blocking the view from that road where she was.

Imhotep watched the scene now, leaning casually against the balcony railing.

In a minute the guards crossed the jutting and saw the slave. They jogged to her, shout echoing off the walls, "Halt!"

The slave girl finally looked up, noticing them. She wasn't stupid; she didn't run, but lifted wide open palms up in surrender. The guards grabbed her, twisting her arms behind her and marched off in the direction of the guard house. Soon they disappeared out of sight.

Imhotep's expression lifted, life _was_ full of humor and pleasure. His pleasure: Anck-su-Namun. His humor: the slave girl, Katriel. He rolled his eyes up into his head as he closed them, still smiling. He shook his head slightly.

Quite a night.


	4. Ancient Times, chapter four

_Ancient Times Chapter 4_

* * *

 ** _Palace Prison:_**

Katriel leaned up against rock's carven wall in the entombed den of the guard house. The prison was made from one of the holes carvers had pitted out while building the palace of stone. The cold night had passed, and light had lit the room all day, chill staying with it. Light reached the prison, but not the warmth.

A whole night and day had passed in the prison and Katriel's tears still came as she hugged her cold arms. Any offense in the palace was a great one, even a simple one like breaking curfew. Slaves, servants and even royal court members had been executed for less. Katriel laid her head on her bent knees, why had she gone outside? She could have cried anywhere else and not broken curfew.

Katriel watched as the light began to slowly fade away. Midday had long gone and past, Imhotep's secret meeting with Anck-su-Namun would be over now.

If they had not been caught, he would be happy at least. Katriel was certain, that after having spent time with him, Anck-su-Namun would not need to give it another thought whether she wanted to be pursued by him or not. Coldness would be replaced with charm and she would have the most influential member of pharaoh's court under her bronze finger.

Katriel's body shook with fear, anger, grief and cold. Where would this path lead? What would happen to Imhotep? She had thought it over.

Perhaps he would run away with Anck-su-Namun? He was influential, maybe he would try to take over as pharaoh if he could convince the people of his divine right to rule? He could be killed, and then it wouldn't matter what he did.

Katriel's fist clenched and unclenched continuously. She should have killed Anck-su-Namun, if she was going to be thrown in prison and executed anyway. At least she could have spared Imhotep.

He would love her, she would use him and he would let her. All because she was beautiful.

Katriel raised her head, she was not beautiful, she could never make him love her. Perhaps that was good, he was a high priest of anubis and she was a Hebrew. She would give up to her soul for Imhotep, but not her actual soul.

Looking up at the dark ceiling, Katriel got on her knees and lifted her arms to her one and only God, saying, "I have not the strength to keep my heart from the man, Imhotep. But I am your servant first. Have pity on me and help me. In a land where You are forgotten for lesser gods, I know You to be the Truth and the greatest one. Spare me my life that I may spare Imhotep's life as well. He goes down a path of death, but for Your greatness and Mercy, help me to spare him as well. For this I would give my life."

A rush of wind came in through the open slots at the top of the ceiling that had let in light and air. It flowed down to the ground and swept against Katriel. Feeling the oddest of sensations Katriel's body slumped to the ground as she watched, being swept away from it with the wind, her body no longer solid.

Her spirit was carried up out of the prison into a bright place: a land of waiting.

…

 _ **Imhotep's Chambers:**_

Imhotep sat at his desk, sacred scrolls of anubis before him, but he could hardly concentrate on them now. The afternoon had been spent in the sweetest of moments.

He closed his eyes, remembering the feel of the horus statue beneath his fingertips as he pressed up against it while Anck-su-Namun spoke. Her words were like a spring water, flowing with grace. She had told him she returned his affections, she spoke of him like he had been the only one to ever exist in her eyes, yet she was not worthy. She! The sun itself! And then, unable to contain himself, he had looked from out behind the statue and their gaze met. All exhilaration of a lifetime in one moment! Her eyes! Her face! The jewelry cascading down her black, silky hair! Her lips, parted silently in surprise as she studied his face in a single instant! And a moment passed, her eyes fastening on his in a soft glow of the connection. A lingering look. A look of realization of longing.

She loved him. He could feel it in her as keenly as he felt it for her. They would see one another again, and they would find a way to be together.

A knock rapt at his door. Imhotep blinked slowly, looking up at the door with calmness as it opened. A gold painted head emerged, followed by another. His priests came in, shuffling quickly over the floor, bald heads down. They had come to deliver his slave back to him.

Imhotep glanced at them before returning to his scroll, concentrating on the glyphs, "Well?"

His slave had probably accrued a small fine that would be a pittance compared to what he made, but for the extra work his slave took on he would not mind paying it. After she sat in the prison for a time as punishment for speaking out against Anck-su-Namun as she did. Not that she was wrong, but it was not her place and she would learn that.

Now she would be brought back more cooperative, and could deliver more notes to Anck-su-Namun for him.

"My lord," One golden covered priest bowed repeated, "we went to retrieve the slave girl, Katriel, as you requested. But upon opening the door, the guards found her dead."

Imhotep's brow furrowed and he looked up from his scroll. Dead? He turned in the chair to face the priests, who did not meet his eyes, but instead that of his floor. "How?" He asked, puzzled.

"We do not know, your grace. We brought her body to the temple, thinking you might want to investigate?" The priests said.

Imhotep's furrow deepened, the situation seeming suspicious. If the slave had been discovered with a secret note to his Anck-su-Namun, and killed for it, everything could be ruined. Imhotep nodded, "Leave now."

The priests bowed out.

Imhotep turned to the scroll, memorizing the glyphs that formed an ancient spell. Once done, he stood and rolled up the papyrus. He set it gently on the shelf with other scrolls, finger lingering on it a moment. It was such an important spell to remember now.

Robe billowing behind him he left the room and walked down the halls to the preparation room.

As keeper of the dead, he knew the route well. All who passed into the afterlife from the palace had first to go through him, though usually slaves were taken by their own kind and buried according to their customs. Lesser-knowns of the palace were usually attended to by his priests though, and it had been a long time since Imhotep had looked upon an unprepared body, as usually high priest said the sacred protective spells over a body during or after preparation. The more important a person was, the more the high priest was involved.

To get the preparation chamber, Imhotep had to step out into the night. He crossed the courtyard, a different more open one than the one he had spoken to Anck-su-Namun in. Moonlight was shrouded in cloud and Imhotep noted it as he looked up. That was unusual. Desert clouds did not form often, and even rarer did they form at night to cover a crescent moon. It was surely an omen of some kind, Imhotep knew as high priest that the heavens foretold many things, but what this sign was he could not guess. Setting it aside in his mind for now, he continued on.

...

 _ **Preparation Room For Entering the Afterlife:**_

Imhotep stepped quickly in through the preparation room now, covered in golden walls with black inscriptions of the afterlife and depictions of anubis covering almost every surface. He approached the table where the modestly clothed body lay. Several priests were gathered around it, chattering quietly. They stepped aside as Imhotep came forward. As he looked down upon the body, his eyes widened slightly as his brow raised.

The slave girl Katriel was not even pale yet. Usually the lips would be darkened following death, but she looked as if she were sleeping. Though her chest did not rise.

Imhotep bent over the body, examining it, as a priest spoke, "We did not find any puncture wounds, we think perhaps a poison?"

Imhotep raised his hand and waved it over the body, closing his eyes as he said an incantation to draw out poison. If she had been murdered, or even if she poisoned herself, he could draw it out to see what had been used with his spells.

Opening his eyes as he finished, the body had not changed and nothing leaked from the mouth or eyes, like it should have had there been poison. Frowning he placed a hand over the face, commanding the spirit of the body to commune with his.

He met a hollow response.

Surprise flitted over his features and he withdrew his hand, puzzled. He frowned down at the body. Her spirit would not answer back, it was not where it should be. It had not been weighed yet on the scales, as anubis had no answer for him either.

Imhotep placed a hand down on Katriel's forehead gently, feeling it. Next he took up her hand and held it between his, pausing carefully. He set it back down on the table.

Cold. She should be pale from the cold, but she was not. Her spirit should have some reply for him, but it was gone. It had passed beyond anubis to a place he could not reach.

He frowned. How could a soul pass by anubis? Was that even possible?

Imhotep gazed down at the body of Katriel. Where had she gone? And how? And why? He was keeper of the dead and yet if anubis had not taken hold of her spirit, he could not find it. Did the Hebrews know something of this that he did not? Imhotep blinked, that must be it. Some heavenly interference was at work here.

Imhotep turned his head quizzically to one side. How could this slave girl be worth heavenly interference though? It was a puzzle. As high priest he should look into it personally.

He turned to a priest, "Keep the body here, inform me when it starts to decompose…or if it wakes up."

"Wakes up?" The priest repeated, eyes wide.

"…Something is at work here, something I have never seen before." He said, dark eyes looking over the figure of his former slave. Perhaps the book of the Dead would have the answers he sought. To read it though, would be a grave thing indeed, being as powerful as it was. Fortunately it was here at least, having been moved to the city of the living by his predecessor while the book of the Living was moved to the city of the dead. Imhotep smiled.

He hadn't gotten his sense of humor on his own, the last high priest had contributed to it a fair amount. The switching of books to oppositely named cities being a good example.


	5. Modern Day, The O'Connells

_1933-London, Current Time_

* * *

 **Train Station:**

"Alex!" Kat shouted, waving.

"Kat!" The nine year old blonde dropped his suitcase and ran across the crowded train station where his nanny crouched with outstretched arms.

Alex ran into the arms, which quickly wrapped around him, smelling of familiar lavender. Alex was never much of a big hugger now that he was getting older, but for his nanny he made a rare exception. Kat squeezed him tight for a moment then let go, looking at his face, "Look at you, so tan! I got you something while I was in Rome."

Kat let go of him to dig in her bag a moment before drawing out a bundle of wrapped sticks, "It's Roman taffy, the neatest wagon was selling them at five cents a stick and I knew you'd love some."

"Oh! Great!" Alex took the candy in excitement, having a sweet tooth that was only ever fed by his uncle Jonathon and nanny, Kat.

"Spoiling his dinner already?" Rick strolled up, carrying the majority of the family's bags over his shoulder. He was smiling.

Kat stood, shouldering her bag over her traveling coat, "How was your trip to Egypt?"

"Wet." Rick said to a confused Kat's face. Evie came up behind him, smiling at Kat, her hair down in bouncy curls around her face. If Kat used more hair product she might be able to look like that, but as it was she kept her hair in a tight brown bun where it was easier to maintain.

"Wet? But, it's a desert." Kat frowned, looking at Evie for clarification.

"We ended up taking a rather unscheduled swim." Evie smiled, glancing at Rick.

"Unscheduled? Hah! Didn't I tell you not to open that chest?" Rick said.

"How was your trip to Rome?" Evie changed the subject, ignoring Rick.

Kat looked between them briefly, something smelled of mischief and adventure. If you believed the ten year old stories about the O'Connells' there wasn't an Egyptian trip that wasn't full of it's fair share of danger. Kat usually stayed back at the mansion to watch Alex while they went away, but every once in a while they'd stay at a hotel in Cairo while Rick and Evie explored dangerous tombs or helped unearth valuable artifacts.

"It was good, I saw lots of German Jews at the border on my way back. I thought that was sort of interesting. Maybe they don't like their new Chancellor, what was his name again?" Kat said, with a thoughtful expression. "The one in charge of that new party Germany has?"

"Hitler!" Alex said, grunting as he ripped off the top half of a stick of taffy.

"Oh I hate politics!" Evie said with a frown and wave of her hand, "I'd rather be down at a dig any day than keeping up with politics."

Kat didn't try to let that bother her. Kat had wanted to know more about the Nazi party ever since they came out with some rather anti-tolerant views on the Jews. Not that Evie or Rick needed to care much about that, not being Jewish themselves.

"I have your car ready in the parking lot, it looks like it might rain here soon so we should probably head out." Kat said, turning to Rick. She knew how much he loved his car, picking them up from the station in it was much better than getting a taxi. Besides, Rick had a bit of a problem with letting anyone else drive….

"Ah, my car." Rick said, relief showing across his features. Apparently he was glad it wasn't a taxi either.

Rick led the way as Evie and Kat ushered Alex after, following behind.

"I can take that for you." Kat held out an arm towards Evie's bag.

"Oh thank you." Evie handed it to her.

Once they reached Rick's glossy, dark car they stuffed the bags in the back and Evie and Rick sat up front, Kat and Alex in the back.

"Has Jonathon called?" Evie asked from the front seat as Rick pulled out of the station, new tires rolling smoothly over the pavement.

"Called?" Kat blinked, "He's been staying at the house since before I got back."

"That figures." Rick replied. "We'll have to stock up on the cellar wines again."

"Basically." Kat smiled.

The pitter patter of rain drops started to wet the windshield and bounce of the top of the care rhythmically.

Alex and Kat played a quiet game of hand tap in the back, where one person held out their hands palm down and the other person held theirs beneath, then quickly tried to bring theirs up over the person's hands on top and tap them before they could pull away. After several games, Alex winning, they sat quietly listening to the rain and thunder until twenty minutes into the drive Rick pulled up into the mansion's driveway.

...

Rick and Kat brought in the bags quickly, only getting slightly wet. Kat set all but Alex's suitcase in the entry way as her and Alex went up to his room to unpack while Rick and Evie talked.

Alex was in a strange hurry to get upstairs, totting up with him a large chest that his mother had just set on the table before going into the other room with Rick.

Kat frowned, following the boy as thunder boomed outside. Once in his room at the top of the stairs Alex dropped the chest on his blue quilted bed then quickly ran and shut the door behind Kat. Kat set his suitcase on the ground, crossing her arms as she watched him hop up on the bed, "Alright Alex, what's with the chest?"

"I don't know, mom and dad wouldn't let me see it the whole ride back. But I'm pretty sure I heard something inside, like voices." Alex said, fumbling his hand around in his pocket.

"Voices inside? Wait, was this the chest your dad said shouldn't be opened?" Kat recalled the brief exchange between Mr. O'Connell and his wife at the train station.

Alex had dug a strange, sun-like designed necklace out of his pocket and had already inserted it into a hollow design on the chest, turning it, "Yeah, so?"

"Alex…" Kat warned. It was too late for warnings though, the top of the chest clicked open as Alex turned the necklace, apparently it had been a key.

Alex opened the lid slowly, Kat leaned in. There was really no point in fighting with him over it now, he had already opened it. The least she could let him do was let him look.

A gleaming, golden scorpion lay inside.

"Whoa! Look at the size of that sucker!" Alex exclaimed reaching down and picking it up.

"Language." Kat said as Alex ignored her, holding the large golden object up in front of him. It looked like a large, heavy bracelet.

Alex put it over his wrist, but before he could close it himself it snapped shut of its own accord, entrapping his arm. Alex looked at it wide eyed, "Uh-oh."

Kat stared at it, how had it closed like that? All on its own?

Lightning flashed outside of Alex's window as the sky thundered, droplets of rain pelted against the glass.

Suddenly Alex shot his arm up, staring off into space, eyes wide in shock.

"Alex? Alex!" Kat looked at him worried, but he didn't hear her. He didn't even see her as she crouched down, staring worriedly into his eyes. His arm stayed out in front of him, ramrod straight, as his eyes gazed unseeing. Suddenly he jolted, then stayed still again. Kat's heart started to race, watching him. This wasn't good.

"Are you playing a game? Are you trying to make me worried, Alex?" She asked sternly, face starting to grow pale as Alex didn't respond. There was something about his eyes, something that didn't seem to be him playing some make-believe game to scare her.

Kat stood, she should get the O'Connells. She raced to the door, hand on the doorknob she heard a huff and quickly looked back to see Alex's arm was down at his side. Eyes wide but looking around his room now.

"Alex? Can you hear me?" Kat asked hesitantly, hand still on the cool brass doorknob, ready to race out and get the O'Connells if needed.

"What?" Alex blinked, coming out of his daze.

Kat's eyes jumped down to the bracelet. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't good. Kat rushed back over, "Take it off! Quickly!"

Alex looked down at the bracelet and tried to pry it free from his wrist, but it wasn't opening. Kat was quickly at his side, yanking and pulling at the thick golden bands to get it off of him.  
"It won't come off!" Alex yelled, struggling to slip his wrist out from the inside.

Kat frowned, worry written across her forehead. Suddenly her face lightened, she looked up with bright eyes as an idea came to her, "Butter! In the kitchen! Quickly!"

Kat went to the door, but Alex back tracked, lugged the heavy chest up in his arms from the bed, then wobbled out of the room with it to the kitchen. Kat noticed he had brought his sleeve down over the bracelet to hide it. Sure enough, as they got back downstairs (being wary of running into the other O'Connells, who seemed to be arguing in a different room from the sound of it), Alex quickly set the chest where he had found it. He looked around the room, grabbed a statue off the bookcase, stuffed it into the chest then closed it all up. He was covering his tracks, making it look like he had never nicked it in the first place.

Kat raised an eyebrow as Alex lifted a finger to his lips, obviously considering Kat a fellow conspirator rather than a responsible adult.

Kat ushered him silently into the kitchen, whispering, "We'll tell them only if we can't get it off."

"Deal." Alex said.

Rain was pelting against the kitchen windows, streaking down the outside of the stained glass that in daylight showed beautiful images of flowers and grass.

Kat hoisted Alex up on the counter top and he sat, feet hanging of the edge as she grabbed the butter dish and uncovered it. Opening the drawer she dug for the butter knife, as he continued to tug at the bracelet, "Argh! This damn thing won't budge!"

"Alex!" Kat said, clutching the butter knife and scraping off some butter.

"It's rather very stubborn, that." Alex corrected blandly.

Using the knife she started to liberally coat his small wrist around the bracelet, glancing at him as she did, "Alex…when this closed on you, what happened? You sort of froze up. You were all stiff and...vacant."

"I don't know, all of a sudden my room disappeared and I was looking at the pyramids right in front of me and then whoosh, I was shooting off through the desert to Karnak." Alex said, "It was just like a movie only right in front of my face."

Kat bit her lip, maybe this was something she should tell the O'Connells. First their son hears whispers from inside a lifeless box, now he was seeing things? Then again, there was something odd that always seemed to follow the O'Connells…not including that mummy-fiasco the newspapers still brought up from ten years ago.

"OK, well, let's see if that did it." Kat set the butter knife in the sink as Alex started to tug at the bracelet more.

"Alex?" Evie called from in the living room.

Kat and Alex looked at one another wide-eyed. Quickly Alex covered his wrist and bulky bracelet with his jacket sleeve, "Yeah, coming!"

Kat gave him a look but said nothing, walking with him to the living room. Evie stood near the locked chest, looking around it. She glanced up at the two as they walked in, "Alex, what did you do with the key? I had it right here?"

"I didn't do anything with it." Alex lied, not well enough to trick his knowing mother. Evie raised an eyebrow, "Alex…did you lose it?"

"I didn't lose anything!" Alex retorted.

Evie stepped up to him, "If you lost that key young man, you're going to be in a lot of trouble." She bent down, reaching into his pockets and deftly turned them out.

"Mom!" Alex whined, careful to keep a certain arm out of her prying reach as she checked the fronts of his jacket pockets.

Kat carefully stood back, it was too late to tell the truth about the key (which now lay in Alex's room). She'd make sure Evie or Rick found it soon though, maybe under a couch. That was kind of the system she had developed when Alex was naughty, she'd cover a certain extent of his naughtiness and make sure she'd right it later with him in private.

If they couldn't get that bracelet off though, there wasn't a whole lot she could cover over for him. He might get the full blast of the consequences on this one.

"Good evening." A deep voice spoke behind Kat.

Kat jumped, looking behind her as Evie slowly rose up from checking Alex's pockets.

A tall, muscled, dark skinned man stood behind her. He wore decorated clothing, mostly in red. A cape and a tightly wrapped sort of turban covered his head. Gold earrings hung down from his ears and a silver beaded necklace lay bare against his open chest. Kat's eyes flickered down to the large sword handle jutting from the folds of clothes he wore.

Something about his appearance reminded Kat of a pirate. He watched them with intense, chocolate eyes.

Kat back stepped to be beside Alex, Evie on the other side of the boy, protecting him.

"Who are you?" Evie asked carefully, eyeing him with carefully suppressed emotion, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the chest, of course." He spoke softly, calmly. As if he was making an obvious artifact pick-up that anyone would have been expecting.

Alex reached over and grabbed the chest from off the table, holding it carefully as he eyed the man. Kat quickly stepped up and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him back behind her.

"Give it to me now." The man said, his calm voice taking on a warning tone.

Evie stepped to the side, yanked a sword from the artifact display on the wall, and held it out at the man, snarling, "Get. Out. Of. My. House."

"Whoa mom, maybe not the best idea." Alex stated, looking between his thin mother and the massive intruder.

"Alex stay back behind Kat." Evie waved him back. Kat planted herself more firmly between Alex and Evie, slowly backing the two of them off. She didn't want to leave Mrs. O'Connell, but Alex was her first responsibility if things came down to it.

The man stuck his tongue in his cheek as five similarly clad men came out from around the corner, none of them as large as the him, but they were still full grown and armed with their own swords. They looked intensely at the two women and boy.

"Definitely not the best idea." Alex said, backing up more as Kat ushered him slowly, "I think it's time to yell for dad now."

"Now I will kill you and take it anyway." The large man said, taking a threatening step closer, his posse following suit.

"-I think not." A different man's voice spoke out.

Kat turned her head with a snap to see at the same moment a black dressed man appear almost out of nowhere, his silver embroidered black cape brushing against her as he breezed forward towards Evie. The large man stopped and the posse all drew their swords, taking a step back.

"Ardeth? What are you doing here?" Evie looked at him shocked, and relieved.

The man had shoulder length, glossy hair and the face of a rather attractive Egyptian. He was as handsome as the clean-cut princes you sometimes saw strolling around the Arabic countries, but on his face were several black tattoos. Which, Kat noted, didn't take away from appearance. He looked like some sort of warrior with them, and judging from the reaction of the intruders, they appeared to know each other.

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later." Ardeth said smoothly, acknowledging Evie briefly as he then turned to give his full attention to the red-clothed men.

"Ardeth Bay." The large man said.

"Lock-nah." Ardeth responded.

Thunder rumbled from outside, lightning flashing from the window behind.

A sound, different and closer than thunder boomed from inside the house. A gunshot. This seemed to be invitation enough in the tense situation as Lock-nah commanded the fellows behind him, "A-leh!"

Ardeth quickly swung off his cloak as the five men charge at him, revealing his own hidden sword. Evie quickly ran back to Kat and Alex, sword in her hand. A man chased past Ardeth, who himself had started taking on three of the men, twirling and slicing his sword through the air. The red clothed man ran after Evie, who suddenly dropped down into a cartwheel, kicking her legs up and slamming her shoes into his face-throwing him backwards.

Kat quickly shoved Alex into a tight spot behind the bookcase, shielding him with her own body as she stared with wide eyes matching Alex's. Evie had just taken a man out with a cartwheel.

Immediately the other man that had slipped past Ardeth brought his sword down, clashing instantly with Evie's own. Suddenly in an intense swordfight, Ardeth took on two red men as Evie was now battling two as well. The large Lock-nah was smiling, eating something, as he enjoyed the scene. Kat stared wide-eyed at everything happening around them as she pressed Alex closer to the wall amid the flurries of swords, her eyes catching on Lock-nah's.

The brown eyes of the large man settled away from Ardeth's swordplay and locked with hers. Gauging her.

He _winked._

Kat's eyes widened, was that a flirt? Whoa. No thank you. Not today. Or ever. Creepy sword-wielding pirate-man.

Suddenly a man lunged at Evie, she twirled him with the grace of a dancer, had his sword block the oncoming sword of the second man and then used her own to ram the first red man's sword into the bookcase.

"Whoa, mom!" Alex exclaimed from behind Kat, "When did you learn to do that?"

The man tried to unstick his sword and Evie threw the second man into him, breathing heavily, "I have no idea."

Then suddenly a red man jumped up, sword still stuck in the bookcase he dived at Evie, wrapping his thick sun-tanned fingers around her neck. He rammed her back into the wall. Kat took a step forward, worry crossing her face.

But instantly Evie had kneed the man, he crouched over in pain, she kneed his face, grabbed his head and punched him, knocking him back on the floor, " _That_ I learned from your father." Suddenly over the sword play from Ardeth, the sound of a machine gun went off in another part of the house.

It connected in Kat's head then, Rick was battling his own set of intruders. And apparently giving them a hard time by the increasing sound of all the gun activity.

"Not bad, for a Medjai." Lock-nah said, eyes focused on Ardeth as the helpful ally took on his own two, skilled opponents.

Suddenly Alex shouted and Kat looked back, a red man had grabbed the chest and was trying to wrestle it from out of Alex's hands. The man whipped the chest around, throwing Alex to the ground, "Argh!"

Evie had picked up her sword and was battling the other red man now.

Kat ran forward, helping Alex up off the ground. Ushering him back near the bookcase again.

"What's in the chest?" Ardeth yelled. Lock-nah threw off his own cloak, revealing large, dark muscled arms.

"The bracelet of anubis!" Evie shouted over her shoulder, clashing swords with her opponent.

Lock-nah now entered the fight, apparently wanting to get the show over with. He unsheathed his sword, slicing it through the air. Aiming at Ardeth. Swords clashed in mighty blows and punches and heavy kicks entered in, Ardeth taking more blows than he was giving by the behemoth. Evie fought her own opponent with the sword.

"They must not get the bracelet!" Ardeth called out desperately, his deep voice rough from being knocked in the head several times, "Get it and get out of here!"

A man came and reached for the sword in the bookcase, still hanging there from Evie's tricky maneuver.

Alex looked up at Kat, without speaking, both grabbed hold of the book case and pulled on it. The man was tugging his sword out of the wood as Kat and Alex brought the heavy wooden bookcase crashing down on top of him. He noticed this too late to move out of the way and shrieked as it fell on him, crushing him.

Evie must have disposed of her assailant as she now rushed toward the chest picking it up. Her head whipped back as she heard the bookcase crash down. Suddenly a different man ran into the room, pushing Kat down on the floor. Alex ran to her, then saw the man run straight towards his mother, "Mom! Watch out!"

Evie whipped her head back. Too late.

With a heavy, hollow thud the man drew back his fist and punched Evie square in her face. The sound seemed to reverberate across the room in a way the noisy thunder and gunshots in other areas of the house could not. It was the blunt force sound of flesh and bone hitting flesh and bone.

Ardeth glanced behind him, hearing the noise, "Evelyn!"

Lock-nah took advantage of the distraction and bore down heavily on Ardeth, who was caught off balance. Kat watched in horror from the ground, her hip throbbing. The new man took up both Evie and the chest, slinging her employer's unconscious body over one shoulder. Ardeth was thrown down on the ground in another section of the room.

Alex shouted, "Mom!"

Kat reached up and grabbed onto Alex's clothes, keeping him from running after Evie. Lock-nah, having disposed of Ardeth and with his man now carrying Evie and the chest, quickly followed out after them. Ardeth sat up, clutching his shoulder.

Without warning, Lock-nah turned around. He threw a giant spiked knife that Ardeth quickly jerked away from as it imbedded into the wall behind him. Kat stared as Lock-nah's gaze flickered to her, lingered a moment, then disappeared behind a flourish of his large cape as he exited down the hall after Evie and the chest.

Kat watched as they disappeared from sight, still clinging to Alex. This was bad. Very bad.

She struggled to her feet, pushing Alex along towards the black haired Ardeth on the floor. He was obviously a friend, and the only other one who knew how to use a sword. He was panting, bright red gashes shown through ripped black fabric in several areas. As Kat neared him, she realized they were fairly shallow gashes. This man was rather a good swordsman to deflect blows from such a massive opponent.

Kat held out a hand, "Come on."

Ardeth looked at her hand, then at her. His eyes were black and shining, and somehow familiar. _Like the night sky when the stars shone above the palace walls._

Ardeth grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the strange thought, "Thank you."

"Thank _you_. Let's go get Evie." Kat said, blinking away the strange thought as she pulled a grimacing Ardeth to his feet.

"We're going after mom?" Alex asked.

"Of course." Ardeth replied, taking up his sword.

Jogging lightly, obviously still sore, he led the two down the hall as gunshots and shattering glass echoed from somewhere in the house.


	6. Modern Day, Kidnapped

Chapter 6- London England, 1933

* * *

 **The O'Connell Mansion, Driveway:**

Kat, Alex and Ardeth raced out of the house into the large driveway. The rain had subsided to a light drizzle, but thunder and lightning still lit the sky. In a flash an illuminated dark car drove away into the night. Evie's face appeared in the black window, shouting. A cloth was pressed over her face and she was yanked away.

"EVIE!" Rick shouted, running out onto the drive way with a rather disheveled and dripping wet Jonathon beside him.

"Dad!" Alex called running, up.

"Alex!" Rick pivoted, spying his son. He quickly bent down grabbing his arms, "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah." Alex said, breathless.

He looked up at Kat, who nodded that she too was fine. Rick's eyes landed on Ardeth.

"O'Connell." Ardeth acknowledged.

"What are you doing here?!" Rick grabbed Ardeth by the collar and swung him up against the fountain in the driveway.

"I'm here to help." Ardeth replied evenly, though obviously feeling the fountain digging into his spine.

"Well isn't that just convenient." Rick replied.

"Rick, he saved Alex and me. Evie would've died if he hadn't come in." Kat interjected. Ardeth shot her an appreciative glance with his dark eyes and after a moment Rick loosened his hold, scowling.

Ardeth quickly explained how he had come to be in London, having followed a cult that was planning on raising a mummy from the dead. It was led by a woman who knew things no human could possibly know, such as where the 'creature' was buried.

"Well that's just grand, but what do they want with my wife?" Rick asked.

"My friend, I do not know. But wherever this man is, your wife will surely be." Ardeth unfolded a picture from in his shirt and revealed it.

Alex suddenly yanked the picture from him, "I know him, he's the curator! At the museum!"

"You're sure?" Ardeth asked the boy intensely.

"You'd better believe him, he spends more time there than he does at home." Rick stated.

"What do they want our friend Imhotep for?" Jonathon cut in.

Kat blinked. Imhotep? Why did that name feel familiar?

"They are going to raise the creature to defeat the Scorpion King and take over the world, now that they have the bracelet, there is nothing to stop them." Ardeth replied.

Alex and Kat exchanged a look. Kat cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the men to her and a rather pleased looking Alex.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Alex said, pulling up his sleeve, revealing a rather buttery, gleaming gold bracelet. "I put this on just after we got home and I saw the pyramids of Giza and then whoosh, I was at Karnak."

Ardeth stepped forward, examining the bracelet quickly. He looked down at the boy, eyes boring into him, "Do you realize that by putting this on, you have started a chain reaction that will bring about the next apocalypse?"

Alex blanched, gulping.

"You, chill out." Rick pointed at Ardeth.

"You, big trouble." Rick pointed at Alex.

"You, stay with Alex." Rick pointed to Kat.

"You…get in the car." Rick pointed at Jonathon.

Alex opened his mouth, "Hey, I'm coming with!"

"With your son now carrying the bracelet, it might be a good idea to keep him near." Ardeth suggested.

"Not where we're going. I'm going to get my wife back and that's not something he's going to be around for. Stay. Here." Rick pointed at the ground firmly. Using the dad tone.

Alex groaned as the men raced off into Rick's car.

Kat and Alex watched as they sped off into the night to a rumble of thunder, headlights blaring.

"They'll get your mom back." Kat reassured the boy, feeling her hip throb and butterflies from the adrenaline jumping around beneath her skin.

"Let's get inside and try to get this off you." Kat said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Without saying a word, Alex turned and walked back to the house. Kat frowned keeping up with him.

…

 **O'Connell's Mansion, Kitchen:**

Back in the kitchen of the now lonely feeling house the two had moved from butter to soap to try to loosen the bracelet of the boy's wrist. Nothing seemed to work. After an hour of prying and pulling they finally had to give it a rest.

Kat wiped her sweat covered brow, loose hairs flaying out from her bun, "Maybe we should try something else. Does your dad have any saws?"

"Saws?! You're going to saw my arm off?" Alex shouted, already tired and frustrated from an hour of trying to get the bracelet off. Not to mention his mom being kidnapped and his father gone on a rescue mission with uncle Jon and some sort of warrior called a Medjai.

"No. Not your arm, the bracelet. It's gold right? That's one of the softest metals there is." Kat retorted.

"I don't want a saw that close to my arm!" Alex said.

"Well you don't want to see the Scorpion King either, do you?" Kat replied right back, feeling her patience starting to wane. She took a deep breath, "Look, if we can get this off by the time your parents get back, we might be able to undo whatever we caused to happen with this Scorpion King guy. We'll be careful with the saw, but we have to get that off you."

"I don't think so." A deep voice said.

Kat's eyes shot open wide and her stomach dropped as Alex suddenly backed away. Kat turned her head to see the dark giant, Lock-nah, standing in the dark-wooded kitchen entryway. Before the thought could process that these guys had gotten in once before, so they could do so again, Alex yelled from behind her.

Kat whipped her head to see a red man grab the boy up in his arms.

"No!" Kat cried out, reaching for him. Suddenly she too was grabbed from behind. Large, heavy, dark arms entrapped her, squeezing the breath from her lungs. She wriggled and fought, but she could have been fighting against a rock and boa-constrictor's offspring for all her efforts. Lock-nah had her trapped in his large muscles. Without so much as a hesitation he lifted her up off the floor as her and a fighting Alex were walked out of the house and stuffed in the back of a car idling in the drive way with its headlamps off. Another red man was in the backseat and first Alex was crammed in, followed by Kat. Kat bounced against the black leather seat as she hit it, scrambling over to grab and hold Alex close to her. Lock-nah quickly got in himself as the car started to drive down into the night.

...

The car was dark inside and Kat didn't even peak to see what the rest of her kidnappers looked like. But she could smell them as her heart raced in fright. They smelled like sweat and sun-baked-cloth soaked in dust. Instantly it reminded her of one of her many trips to the hotels in Cairo. They smelled like Egypt.

Holding tight to Alex in silence as they drove, no one said anything but Kat's heart kept racing. What was going to happen to them?

Kat felt her legs and sides brush up against Lock-nah as the car took turns and bumps, and she tried to scoot closer in to Alex as this happened. After an eternity, they were pulling up into a familiar damp parking lot.

"We're at the train station?" Alex spoke, breaking the silence.

Kat looked out the window, how could this be? She had checked the train schedules while planning on picking up the O'Connells that night. They had been on the last train of the day.

The car stopped smoothly and Lock-nah's door was open as he grasped Kat's upper arm with his massive hand. His grip was like a vice and he half lifted Kat out of the car before she could scramble herself. Her feet hit wet pavement and she stared up at the station, a few lights left on in the large building's windows. The night air was cold and wet as it breezed around them in the second it took for the other man to push Alex out into the opening, behind Kat. Lock-nah began to pull Kat's arm, his fingers burrowing into her skin painfully as he hurried her up the steps of the station. Alex tugged and jerked several times away from the man holding his arm, but followed up the steps without as much resistance as he could have. Even if he managed to wriggle away and outrun his kidnappers, what would happen to his nanny?

Pushing through the doors their steps echoed across the shining, empty station floor. They approached a train docked in the station, steam billowing up from the front. Kat took in the color and size of the train, it looked old and small-not like the trains that usually pulled into the station.

She looked around as Lock-nah painfully pulled her arm towards the middle of the train, Alex following after. There wasn't a single soul in the station that she could see.

Kat glanced back at Alex as they were shoved hurriedly to board the train. Once they got on the train, who knows what would happen to them?

Lock-nah pushed Kat up the step of the train, where an open door led into the compartment. His hand squeezing so tightly that Kat let out a little, involuntary shriek.

Lock-nah looked down at her as he took a step up on the train as well. His hand loosened and instead he guided her through the door with his other hand pressing against her back, keeping her moving. Inside the compartment a couple of red men sat in open seats, guns on their laps as they watched Kat and Alex with dark eyes. Three lamps lit the compartment on each wall, but it was still plenty shaded inside and Kat had to squint to ensure she didn't trip over anything as Lock-nah guided her down the aisle. The train jolted and started to slowly roll out as Alex followed behind them, still squirming under the hand the pushed him along.

She could feel the wheels churning under her shoes as the train began to leave the station. Lock-nah's hand let go of her arm and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her into one of the open seats. Alex was thrust into the seat with her and Kat quickly placed a protective arm over his shoulders.

Lock-nah gestured to them with his turbaned head, "Watch them, I will inform lord Imhotep we have the bracelet."

The red man beside him nodded, taking a stand in the seat kitty-corner to them, gun in hand. Lock-nah, smirking, disappeared into another compartment.

Kat hugged Alex close to her. There was that name again: Imhotep. Jonathon and Rick had known him, and Ardeth had called him a 'creature', a 'mummy'. Apparently the stories about the O'Connells were true. What would happen to them?

"Do you think Dad got Mom?" Alex looked up at Kat as the train picked up speed, windows darkening as the completely left the station.

"Of course and if I know your parents, they'll both be coming for you next." Kat smiled down at him, "We're not the ones who have to be worried, this lord _Imhotep_ should be."

Kat blinked. The name came out of her mouth differently than she'd meant it to. Without trying an accent developed, changing the sound of the 'mummy's' name slightly.

Alex nodded, "Yeah."

Kat's eyes flickered up to the red man with the gun, he stood watching them expressionlessly. Keeping a tight arm on Alex she looked out the black window, not seeing anything but the outline of her own reflection. Her hair was fraying from the bun.

The train rolled faster now, it's wheels chugging rhythmically, filling the compartment with a steady beating sound.


	7. Modern Day, Train Ride

Modern Day, Chapter 7, Egypt

* * *

 **Train, Egypt (two days have passed in travel at this point):**

Imhotep looked around his temporary, mobile surroundings. The walls were made of rough wooden planks that allowed wisping air through the slats, but covering them were ornate golden statues, (now ancient) artworks, hanging black cloth inscribed with golden threaded glyphs and windows that currently was just starting to let in light. Torches, candles and incense filled the room.

He walked around the interior slowly, feeling the gentle lurches of the ground beneath him as the train rolled over the tracks. It was much smoother than any chariot ride.

Imhotep's face was covered by a black mask and his body was robed in lightweight, black fabric. The material hid his body from any citizen who might glance upon him while he was brought to the first train, the boat, and now the second train. Beneath it was a decayed, grotesque body.

Imhotep hardly noticed nor cared what he looked like now, but it was wise to cover his temporary features so as not to alert the masses.

Hafez, the man who had woken him from the underworld, told him he was working on acquiring the box that held Anck-su-Namun's canopic jars and contained the curse which would restore him. The curse was of great importance to regain his body but the jars no longer held the same appeal to him as they once did, now that the reincarnated form of Anck-su-Namun was aboard this very train.

Soon he would look as he once did, back in ancient times. The face that had once won him Anck-su-Namun would be his to please her eyes again. Not that it seemed to much disturb her earlier that night when he kissed her, still, it would be his gift to her.

There was a knock on the door.

Imhotep turned. The door opened and in came Hafez and Lock-nah, the two servants Anck-su-Namun's reincarnation had hired. They came in to his compartment hesitantly. Hafez, the elderly one, bowed as Lock-nah took a knee. Imhotep watched them.

"My lord," Hafez began, "we have the bracelet of anubis."

Imhotep smiled, pleased. With the bracelet he could become pharaoh over all the world, Anck-su-Namun at his side, for all eternity.

"There is… a small problem." Hafez continued, hesitantly. Imhotep took a slow step forward, smile fading. He did not enjoy a crooked answer. His head tilted slightly to the side, his Egyptian sounded deeper and rougher in this body than it would have in his restored one, but he didn't quite mind the effect, "What _problem_?"

"The boy, O'Connell's son, he has put the bracelet on." Hafez said. "The bracelet shows the way but we do not know the location we are supposed to go to next. He is on board the train but we cannot get the bracelet off."

"Hmph." Imhotep smiled beneath the mask again. This was no problem.

"Do not take it off, it is good he wears it. Bring him to me." Imhotep ordered.

"As you command." Hafez said, bowing. He got up, giving Lock-nah a look. Lock-nah understood it's meaning and rose readily to retrieve the boy.

…

"Get up." Lock-nah ordered, hand grabbing Alex's jacket and hoisting him up.

Kat stood quickly, grabbing the other side of Alex's jacket. Lock-nah opened his mouth, a warning was about to come up when Kat interjected, "-If he has to go anywhere, I go with."

Lock-nah's face twitched, whether in humor or annoyance, it was hard to tell, "It is lord Imhotep's wish to see only the boy."

Kat stood her ground, hand still on Alex, who was watching her with widened eyes but a stiff upper lip, "Then he didn't wish _not_ to see me? Until he doesn't wish to see me, we'll be going together."

Lock-nah huffed a breath through his nose, a small corner of his mouth turned upwards, "You desire to meet him? That would be entertaining."

"Surely it would be easier to keep us together than have us struggle to keep from being separated?" Kat said, feeling her heart start to speed up in her chest. Her knees and hands began to feel jittery as she grasped Alex's jacket with white knuckles. They had endured an entire day of being dragged from trains boats together, to be separated now would be more than cruel.

Lock-nah looked her over, eyes lingering a moment on her slightly shaking white hands, he smirked, "Let's go, both of you."

Kat kept her hand on Alex's shoulder as they walked out into the aisle, Lock-nah's hand planted itself on her upper back, keeping Kat and Alex moving down the aisle towards the door. He walked them out of the compartment into the outer whistling air as dawn lit up the open platform with rushing ground on all sides. They were outside, between train compartments, watching the landscape whisk by. Kat's hand tightened on Alex, the open ground beneath them whirred by so quickly, to fall off it would not bode well for anyone.

Crossing the open air between railcars they quickly entered the door into the next compartment. This section looked much like the other, it too held a few red men inside it, sitting in seats. Lock-nah kept them moving and they crossed out into another open platform with chilly wind nipping at them as stepped across to the next railcar. Lock-nah lead them through a dining car with simple, two seated tables. They crossed out into the open another time to get to the next railcar. This one was a more elaborately decorated car and inside the seats were not only red men, but the man both Alex and Kat recognized from their many trips to the museum.

"Mr. Hafez." Kat said without a second thought. Ardeth had been right, this man was involved in whatever this mess was. A beautiful, long, black-haired woman was beside him.

"Hey I know what that is," Alex said, watching the interaction between the woman and Hafez, there was a black object between them, "that's the book of the dead."

"What a bright little child." The woman said, standing up.

She crouched down in front of Alex, stroking his hair, head to one side, "Your mother must be missing you terribly. If you wish to see her again you better behave."

The mock-maternal instinct coming off this woman nearly made Kat scoff, and with no small degree of satisfaction she heard Alex reply, unaffected by her tone, "Lady, I don't behave for my parents, what makes you think I'm going to do it for you?"

"Silence." Lock-nah growled.

"Because your mother wouldn't put poisonous snakes in your bed," The woman replied, lifting Alex's chin with a hand and kissing his cheek, "while you were sleeping."

Kat's eyes flared, hand tightening on Alex's shoulder. This woman was within hitting range and dangerously close to pushing it too far with Kat's charge. The woman withdrew her hand then and something glinted from it. Kat's growing temper was quickly replaced with a strange sensation.

On the woman's finger was a snake-like golden ring, one that Kat suddenly could see being dropped gently into an ornate bowl by male fingers _. There was a warm glow everywhere, like torchlight on golden walls._

"Who is this again?" Hafez asked, "The boy's nanny you were telling us about?"

"Yes, sir." Lock-nah replied behind them. "She insisted to stay with the boy. She wants to meet lord Imhotep as well."

Hafez frowned, about to reply before the lady interrupted. "She can go."

Everyone looked at the beautiful woman, Hafez raising an eyebrow, "But why, lord Imhotep wishes to meet the _boy_."

"Do you think they pose any danger to him? If anything, it would be quite funny." She answered with a small smile on her face. The woman turned her head to steady her almond eyes on Kat, "Of course you will get your chance to see-"

At that moment Kat could see a remarkable change occur. In an instant the woman's makeup changed and her skin darkened and her hair straightened perfectly down the sides of her face with golden jewelry cascading down it. Kat blinked and it all disappeared, the woman looking at her with a startled expression. She too was staring as if having seen something just as unsettling.

"Meela?" Hafez asked. "Is something the matter?

The woman, Meela, looked over at him, blinking, "…no."

Suddenly Kat felt pressure on her back as Lock-nah pressed his hand against her, moving her and Alex forward again, "Now we will see how brave you really are."

He pushed them through the rest of the car, across the open platform outside, to the next railcar. Immediately upon entering through the door they saw a lay out that was very different from the one of the previous cars. This room was shaded and lit only by burning flames reflecting off large golden artifacts that lined the walls and floors.

Kat immediately smelled the thin veil of incense that crept through the air. A scent much like something familiar she had smelled before, a musky one. She couldn't put her finger on it.

A black-robed figure stood, back facing them, in the middle of the room.

Lock-nah pushed them up then with a hand grasping their shoulders he forced them down to their knees.

Kat's knees hit the wooden slotted floor roughly beside Alex. She grimaced but did not make a sound. Lock-nah's hand left and the figure turned around.

A man in black robes, with a black hood over his head, wearing a black mask stood before them. He took slow easy strides up to them. His deep voice spoke. He was speaking ancient Egyptian and as Kat listened, suddenly and unexpectedly the words drifted in and out of her ears to make as much sense as if he were speaking English.

"-It is you who are the chosen one. You who will take me to Ahm Shere." He spoke.

Kat's eyes widened, and she stared down hard at the floor. How was she understanding this?

"What if I don't?" Alex replied defiantly, having been taught by his mother ancient Egyptian. "What if I get a little…lost?"

The black-covered man laughed softly, deeply. Amused. "You have strength little one, you are your father's son."

He bent down to Alex's height, who now stood before the dark man.

"But I know something you don't." He waved a black gloved hand and Alex grunted as his wrist bearing the bracelet lifted, obviously against his will, though the hand never touched him. "This bracelet is a gift… and a curse."

With his other hand, the man lifted up an hour glass and tipped it, "The sands of time have already begun to pour against you."

"Yeah yeah we already heard this part." Alex responded, unimpressed. "From the minute I put the bracelet on I only have a few days before the scorpion king wakes up."

"Did you also hear that if you do not enter the tomb before the sun strikes it on the seventh day that very morning the bracelet will suck the life out of you?" The man said, leaning in closer for emphasis.

Kat's head shot up, no.

No. no. no. no. no. no. no. no.

Alex's eyes popped, "That part I missed. Hey wait a minute, that means I've only got five days left!"

"I believe it would be nice not to get lost then, don't you?" He cocked his black-covered head to one side.

"My dad is going to kick your ass." Alex replied, his face defiant.

Kat resisted the urge to correct the foul language, as she was thinking along similar words herself.

"Hmm." The man reached a gloved hand up to his mask, grasping it. Slowly he pulled it away.

"Ah!" Alex shouted, backstepping right into Lock-nah.

A grinning, rotted brown and wrinkled face with no skin, sinew or blood in it was revealed, "I do not think so."

It looked like a living, talking mummy.

Despite its hollowed-in cheeks and grotesquely inhuman appearance it had fully open and formed eyes.

Kat stared at it, those eyes…

They were dark and shining. Her heart skipped and every moment of every forgotten deep dream those eyes had ever been in since she was eleven was re-lived in intensity. Instead of recoiling at the features as Alex did, she felt herself freeze. The creature, lord Imhotep, raised his hand for them to depart and Lock-nah quickly grabbed Alex. A moment later Kat was vaguely aware of a hand on her shoulder, but she did not heed it.

Lock-nah then forced her up with a jolt of strength, "Get up!"

Imhotep looked over at the commotion, not before having taken much notice of the woman until now. Suddenly his mummified forehead furrowed deeply, looking down at Kat as she sunk back to the floor, Lock-nah getting angry. Imhotep took a step and stood before her, raising a hand for Lock-nah to stop yanking on her arm.

Kat knelt on the ground weakly, staring with fixed eyes on Imhotep. Alex was on the other side of Lock-nah, watching Kat with wide, uncertain eyes. Slowly, Imhotep lowered himself down to her level and leaned in, studying her face inches from his own.

"…can it be?" He said, shining eyes roving across Kat's face.

* * *

 _Writer's Note: A big thank you to WitchoftheWilds for my first review on this story!_


	8. Modern Day (Ancient Flashback), Karnak

Chapter 8, Modern Day, Egypt

* * *

 **.**

 **Cont. Imhotep's Train Car:**

.

Imhotep's eyes raked over the female's face. The longer nose, the curly dark hair, wide brown eyes that looked up at him as if he were the shining sun. "…the slave, Katriel?"

Kat stared, the image of the grotesque mummified face had dissolved into a man's face. He had smooth, plump golden skin. High rounded cheekbones. Long, dark eyelashes outlining his deep, shinning eyes. A strong jawline that curved inwards just enough to make it clear his birth was from a solidly Egyptian lineage. Dark eyebrows raised just a hint as his lips, full and colored curled into a smirking smile. A smile that Kat knew from…somewhere. A beautiful smile. _The smile of my master._

Master? Since when did she have a master? She blinked and the face disappeared, the grotesque face of the mummy before her. The wrinkled, dried-up, brown skin pulled back in a smirk as familiar shining eyes watched her.

Kat jerked backwards, realizing the proximity of the inhuman face to hers, nose scrunching up at the sudden change of appearance. His words finally registering, she stared at him in horror, "Slave?"

"Hmm…" Imhotep said, pulling away from her and standing tall again. He raised a black-gloved finger to Lock-nah before casually turning away. Lock-nah, understanding that the visit was over, grabbed Kat by the shoulder and hoisted her up off the floor. Wincing from his grip, Kat stood now, whatever had overcome her before was now gone and she wanted nothing more than to leave.

...

Lock-nah pushed the two captives back through the door in which they came and out through the train compartments until they were sitting again in their old seats, hot, empty dessert whisking by through the rattling windows.

Kat could barely feel the temperature change as the sun rose up over the landscape, everything felt cold as she gripped Alex's shoulder in the seat.

She shivered as the brown, withered face loomed in her thoughts. The man-no- the _creature_ Imhotep, had called her a name…a strange name. Like he recognized her. It sounded close to her name, what had he said? Katree…Katelle… _Katriel_. Kat stared into the back of the next seat, its loose, worn upholstery vibrating gently from the wheels of the train. The name somehow sounded…right.

Vaguely aware of anything, she almost failed to notice Lock-nah standing directly over her as she sat. She looked up.

Lock-nah's mouth was open already, but the moment he saw her face it closed and his dark furrowed eyebrows relaxed. She could feel her bloodless face, and knew it must be very pale at the moment. Lock-nah must have been angry before, but the anger dissipated now. No doubt he was unhappy for how she had ignored him in front of Imhotep, the creature in charge of them all. But as his eyes searched her pale face, the anger changed and with a soft voice he smirked, "I don't suppose you'll be asking to see lord Imhotep again, after all that?"

Kat looked down slowly, the memory of the face drifting like a cloud in front of her eyes-not the mummified one now, but the beautifully, impossibly handsome one that she knew from somewhere. His words lingering: ' _Can it be? The slave, Katriel_?'

And her thoughts at the exact moment had been a recognition of him: ' _Master'_

His faces, the mummified one and the golden one twirled around her. Feeling queasy, she suddenly clutched her stomach. "I think…I'm going to…"

Lock-nah's smirk disappeared, he turned instantly and shouted something to the other red man in the compartment. Kat was stood up and quickly escorted out of the compartment as Alex watched her disappear out the door from his seat. Kat felt her stomach lurching as the red escort roughly pushed her into a bathroom aboard the train and closed the door. Kat stood, looking around the room for a moment. The tiny cupboard of a bathroom's walls were chipped and smeared with brown feces, flies swarmed the open unflushed toilet beneath her. Lunging for the toilet handle, the only surface that actually clean, she flushed it just as the smells proved too much and her stomach heaved, spewing out the rations that had been given her and Alex during the trip. Painfully she crouched, trying not to touch the walls or floors or toilet, grateful that rations had at least been small. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself, only to find that the smells prompting a fresh round of gagging.

She was going to be here awhile.

…

Imhotep grinned as the last body dropped lifeless to the ground. Hafez had made good on his promise, three men had come into his compartment, opened the box, and Imhotep had just taken the liberty of using the curse to suck their bodies dry to aid the restoration of his own.

Imhotep brought his fingers up to his face and flexed them, watching with fascination as the skin and sinew stretched and moved with the bones. It was both a familiar and a disjointing sensation to have his body back. Behind him, the compartment door opened again.

The door kept opening to this room. Wasn't he just the popular one today?

He turned and saw a beautiful, long dark haired woman stepping over the corpses with her nose scrunched up in disgust. She looked up.

This was the body of Anck-su-Namun, and though her true self was not yet awakened, Imhotep was curious to see how it would react to seeing him now.

He took a step forward and her eyes widened. She bowed her head quickly, dark wisps of hair falling across her shoulders. Imhotep smiled, lifting her chin. She stared and smiled then too.

Imhotep now knew his face was pleasing, and this pleased him. His Anck-su-Namun would be happier for it.

Deep in his chest he felt a strong burning as he looked at the face in front of him, the almond eyes, the dark skin, ebony hair, full dark lips…now that he was fully restored, he would make his beloved restored with him. Tonight, he would restore her spirit to its body, and they could be truly together.

Imhotep reached out with his ungloved hand and twisted a strand of the black hair around his finger as she watched him with adoring eyes. He lifted her chin and bent in towards her as she gently touched his face with her fingertips.

Suddenly the floor beneath them lurched and they stumbled forwards together, the decorations and hanging bowls of lighted oil swaying dangerously in the room. The train was coming to a sudden and unexpected halt.

On the roof, gunshots sounded. Imhotep looked up, realizing, "The boy."

He threw open the sliding door to his compartment, Anck-su-Namun following closely. The darkened room was lighted by the piercing dessert sun and heat as the door slid back. Karnak, with its staggering columns and massive girth, spread out before them. It was empty save for a small, running figure darting in and out, heading for the cover of the columns. A trail of dust rose up behind him from flying bullets. The guards above were shooting at the escaping boy.

Eyes widened and nostrils flaring Imhotep raised his arms, staring up at the roof where the guards stood, discharging their guns. He felt the power flow through his regenerated limbs and lifted up both guards from the roof. The shooting stopped as the grown men started to shout in horror. Imhotep, nearly growling, thrust the two together then waved his arms and hurled their bodies from the roof of the train all the way over to the columns. Their bodies smashed and crumpled against the stone, falling, unmoving to the ground below.

The fools would not make the mistake of harming the carrier of the bracelet of anubis again.

He glanced back suddenly, realizing Anck-su-Namun watched him. Concern and question in her eyes, but not fear. He smiled at her, extending an arm as all anger vanished. He could get angry, but it was never for long. She came to him and he held her to his side, rising his arm he swept it over the scene, smiling "Karnak."

Not as impressive as it had been the last time he had been here, and decidedly more empty. Still, it had stood against time for a reason, the temple being impressively built. A wonder still.

He let go of Anck-su-Namun and hopped down from the train, smiling. He would not allow the child to be harmed so long as he carried the bracelet, or else this entire trip would be quite a waste. The bracelet did not choose just anyone to wield it. Breezing easily across the hot, sandy ground he walked into Karnak, after the boy who had long since disappeared. Imhotep squinted up at the sun between towering columns, remembering his own time here as a boy, running through the columns, mischievously avoiding the priests he was supposed to be serving. Had it really been thousands of years ago?

Imhotep followed the footprints of the child, his stride long and easy. In a mere minute he came across the water pools, the boy standing in front of him with a wrist out, eyes bulging. Imhotep smirked, the child was being given the second vision. The vision they needed to know the next location.

Without breaking his stride Imhotep stepped up and walked across the pools of water as if they were solid glass. The boy's arm dropped and he stared at Imhotep approaching. Alex back-stepped.

Imhotep raised an arm and lifted him gently off the ground, capturing him with no effort. Children were amusing. Alex stared wide-eyed at the man who was holding him off the ground-without touching him. Imhotep lifted a single finger and waved it, "Tsk. Tsk."

"Alex!?" Kat ran up behind a jogging Lock-nah. Both skidded to a stop, sand clouding up at their feet, as they saw Alex floating in mid-air with Imhotep beside him.

Imhotep raised a dark eyebrow, turning to them. He slowly walked towards them, dragging Alex through the air in front of him. Lock-nah bowed his head. The large, dark man- head of the guards, was clearly embarrassed at having had the small child escape him.

Kat looked between Imhotep and Alex, fear lighting her eyes. The man was the one she had seen before, but only in a quick hallucination. This was the mummy, wasn't it? Or at least, he had been a mummy a moment ago. He wore the same clothes. How was he lifting Alex through the air? She felt her stomach clench, but it was empty.

Kat quickly stepped in front of Lock-nah, reaching out with both arms towards Alex. Gently, Imhotep lowered the boy and the moment Kat grabbed him he released his hold.

Kat back-stepped with Alex, bringing them back behind Lock-nah, watching Imhotep with fright. She whispered quickly, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alex retorted.

Imhotep cocked his head to the side, watching Kat. She shivered, arms trembling as she kept Alex close to her. Imhotep's eyes shone bright, assessing the girl.

He had…frightened her? He had never frightened Katriel before. Her wide eyes staring at him now made him suddenly feel something…odd. He didn't like it. Katriel was not supposed to be afraid of him, she had only ever looked at him like that once, he hadn't liked it then either…

…

 ** _Flashback: Ancient Times. Palace at Thebes, Egypt._**

 _Imhotep looked up from his scrolls, hearing the crash. Rising he scooted his chair back from his small desk, looking around the room. Small beads of sweat glistening on his forehead as a result from the stuffy room without any windows._

 _If he ever became High Priest, he would be sure he had a room with a window. No, a balcony! Where he could see the stars and feel the breeze and look down from the palace at the city…._

 _Imhotep stuck his head out into the corridor, just outside his room the torch-lit walls showed an odd scene._

 _On the ground was a little servant girl in a dark dress, crouching forlornly over a tray of spilled bottles. Incense and oils leaked out onto the tiled floor. Imhotep saw her little fingers scrambling to clean things up. He looked up and down the halls curiously, there was no one around. Stepping out of his room he walked softly down the hall and stood over her._

 _The little girl looked up, eyes wide and full of fright. Her face was characteristically like one of the Hebrews slaves with long brown hair tied back in a braid, a few curly strands escaping to curl around the edges of her baby-like face._

 _Imhotep crouched down to her level and lifted his hand. Immediately the girl flinched back, closing her eyes as if he were about to strike her._

 _Imhotep watched the reaction with a strange feeling welling up in his chest. He had never in all his eighteen years hit a child. Grown men-if the occasion called for it, but never women or children. Was he intimidating to her? He did not…_ like _that._

 _He looked down at the spill that had obviously caused the crash a moment ago. A broken bottle made most of the mess. Imhotep had an idea, hadn't he just learned this trick from the scroll his master had him studying last month? He raised a finger and tapped the girl's long nose, she opened her eyes. He smiled and waved his hand over the bottle, muttering quietly. In an instant the bottle reassembled itself and the liquid poured from the floor back into it._

 _She stared wide-eyed, looking from him to the bottle. Her expression was so comical, he chuckled. Reaching over he placed a hand on her head before standing up and making his way back to his room, shaking his head. Children._

 ** _End Flashback._**

…

Imhotep watched her slightly shaking frame. He walked past Lock-nah slowly, coming up to her. Kat quickly pushed Alex behind her, protecting him. Imhotep's eyes flickered to the boy, who was looking up at him defiantly. He smirked, the boy was his father's son. He looked back up to Kat, a faint wondering welling up at how she had become the boy's guardian in this life? How had she come to this time as well?

He smiled, "I would not let anyone hurt the carrier of the anubis bracelet. You can have my word on that, Katriel." He then lifted a hand and set it on the top of Kat's head, like he would have done to a child, smiling.

Kat stared up at him, shocked. He was touching her? And that name again…did he think he knew her!? The warm pressure of his hand against her hair felt odd, but it reminded her of something. Maybe something her father had once done, after she had made a mistake when she was younger?

Lock-nah watched silently, the whites of his eyes flashing against the contrast of his dark skin as they glanced to the far side to see the interaction.

Meela, the incarnation of Anck-su-Namun, came running up. She stopped short at seeing Imhotep's hand on Kat's head, smiling at her. The woman's eyes flashed, looking between the two. She approached slowly, calling out, "Lock-nah! Were you not supposed to be watching the boy?"

Lock-nah looked up at her, before ducking his head down again, "My apologies. He slipped off the train before I could catch him."

"Obviously. We cannot afford any time delays, this cannot happen again." Meela said shaking her head and draping an arm around Imhotep, who had let go of Kat to hold her.

"Yes, ma'am." Lock-nah said, turning and taking an angry step towards the boy.

Kat saw his temper and instantly stepped between Alex and Lock-nah, "We'll go with you. Wherever you want."

Lock-nah looked up at Imhotep, wary now of how he was to treat the two. Imhotep nodded them off with a smile. Instead of angrily pushing them along, Lock-nah simply grabbed Kat's shoulder and pointed off, walking with them quickly, "This way."

Imhotep looked down at Anck-su-Namun, who smiled up at him, touching his face with her fingertips-subtly directing his gaze away from the retreating figures and keeping it on her.

…

Night began to fall over Karnak. The kidnapping party had set up camp among the ruins of the temple and only the occasional call of a sentry switching out with another and the crackle of the fire could be heard in the echoing in the ancient architectural wonder. So as Alex started to pull at his chain, the clanking quickly alerted everyone nearby.

Kat looked over at him, frowning, "Alex dear, you know that won't do any good."

"Sure it will, I have a plan." Alex responded, the chain clattering against the metal spike that held him captive.

"Well it better be more of a plan than running off a moving train, that was very dangerous." Kat said, twisting her wrists as the bonds cut into them. She herself was bound by a rope around her wrists a few meters from Alex, the rope wrapped around a thick column that she sat up against.

"I was trying to go get help-I don't see you doing anything to save us." He retorted.

"Alex O'Connell!" Kat's voice dropped down to a deep whisper, "I am trying to keep you alive! Your parents are coming for us, I know they are. How do you think they're going to find you the next time you try to run off like that, hm? In pieces? If we go along with these people, we stay alive longer, and the longer we do that the better chance we have of getting rescued."

Alex kicked at the spike, his glance a little guilty now but his voice still rather unconcerned, "Didn't you hear what he said to you? That guy in black, Imhotep, he promised he wouldn't let anything hurt me 'cause I'm wearing the bracelet. He promised you… called you a weird name too."

"I heard." Kat said softly.

"Why did he touch your head like that?" Alex asked, frowning as he pulled at the chain.

"I don't know…I think he believes I'm someone else. Someone called…'Katriel'?" Kat replied slowly.

"That's pretty close to your name, and you two were looking at each other real funny-even on the train- are you sure you don't know each other?" Alex looked up at her skeptically now.

Kat raised an eyebrow, "How would I know-"

Suddenly a shout in a foreign tongue cut her off. Alex and Kat looked up to see Lock-nah approaching them angrily. Apparently, he had heard the attempts Alex was making at trying to pull his stake free.

Alex backed up the few steps he could and quickly raised his arm with the bracelet, "Hold on there partner."

Lock-nah stopped, eyeing him fiercely, in his hand he held a canister that sloshed inside, promising water. Alex smirked, "There we are, nice and friendly now, don't want your boss getting mad for hurting the carrier of the bracelet now do we? Is that my water?"

Lock-nah scowled and paused, it looked like he was deliberating something. He crouched down, hissing so only Alex could hear, "When the time comes, I shall truly enjoy killing you."

"But until that time," Alex responded instantly, "you better be a little nice to me."

Scowling, Lock-nah thrust the canister into Alex's chest, the water sloshing up on his tie, soaking it. Lock-nah turned haughtily and was about to march off when his eyes caught sight of Kat, twisting her wrists in the rope. He paused, then walked towards her in an easy stride.

He crouched down to her level, staring. Kat quickly looked away.

Kat felt the heat radiating off his body as he crouched so close to her, his clothing smelled of the bonfires they had lit to keep the chill from entering the camp, though there was none close to her and Alex.

"The ropes are…hurting you?" Lock-nah asked, looking straight into her eyes as she looked up at him now.

Kat kept her teeth clenched, feeling her heart beat quicken in her throat. Lock-nah reached down to his waist and unsheathed a dagger, holding it up. Kat stared at the wickedly glinting metal blade, it was incredibly sharp-looking. Was he threatening her? She gulped, "They're f-fine."

Lock-nah took in her expression, grinning suddenly. With a quick motion he flicked the dagger up towards her face. Kat squeezed her eyes shut, but felt nothing. The tension keeping her arms up by her head disappeared and her hands suddenly dropped. She opened her eyes again to see Lock-nah using the blade to cut the rest of the ropes from off her wrists. He was freeing her?

He looked up at her, sheathed his dagger, then carefully plucked with his fingers to unwind the bonds. Her pale wrists were rubbed almost raw and were incredibly reddened where the rope had been, having been tied too tightly by the anonymous red guard who had bound her. Lock-nah took in the condition of her wrists for a moment before he very gently picked her hand up in his and slowly rubbed his fingers over the red marks, "We can't have you losing circulation in your hands now, can we?"

Kat's jaw locked tighter, instinctually she wanted to pull away but worried now what would happen if she did, the massive Lock-nah being so close to her. The pain and itching in her wrists started to diminish as his large, warm fingers slid over her wrists, massaging the area. He watched her eyes, so she quickly looked down, noticing that three of his fingers were bigger than her entire wrist.

He let the hand down and picked up the other one, massaging the wrist for another minute in silence as Kat avoided his gaze, leaning her chin back into her neck as she leaned backward, away from him. He gently set her hand down and she glanced up, his eyes staring at her still, less than a foot from her face.

"Do you know what is going to happen here?" Lock-nah asked, his voice quiet.

Kat didn't say anything, freezing on the spot. He wasn't going to try to kiss her was he?

"Your little friend there is going to lead us to the Scorpion King." Lock-nah said, gesturing with his eyes to Alex.

Kat felt the breath go out of her in relief. Oh good, it wasn't like that. Wait. Scorpion king?

"Once we get there, lord Imhotep will kill him and gain control over all his armies. The entire world will be conquered in only a matter of weeks, and Imhotep and Meela will reign over everything, can you imagine that kind of power?" Lock-nah continued.

Kat said nothing, though she was almost positive Lock-nah could hear her rapidly rising heartrate.

"There will no longer be a need for your friend, the O'Connells will be destroyed along with the Medjai. But those of us who stay loyal to the new rulers will be given riches and titles beyond anything you can imagine. Imhotep will be an immortal king…and he will need willing and trusted men at his side to aid him." Lock-nah said, still speaking in his deep, quite voice. His tone almost casual.

Kat looked him in the face, "That would be you?"

"Yes, of course. It could be you too…I saw the way lord Imhotep looked at you today. He favors you. If you stay close to me, and do not give him reason to break trust in you, we could enter into that new world together, you and I." He said, reaching up moving a loose strand of Kat's hair from her face where it had fallen.

Kat's nose slowly started to scrunch up. She did not like the physical closeness involved in this conversation. Not that objectively Lock-nah wasn't an unattractive man, he was just creepy in a sinister way.

"Think about it. At the very least for tonight anyway. Running away would of course break that future, and you would not want to leave behind the boy…." Lock-nah turned, gesturing to Alex with his head as Alex watched the quiet conversation with a furrowed brow, just out of ear shot.

Kat drew her hands in and rubbed her wrists slowly herself, "I won't run away."

Lock-nah smirked and stood up. He looked down at Kat for a moment longer before striding off, disappearing behind a pillar.

"What was that about?" Alex asked. "Hey, did he cut you loose?"

Kat carefully stood, looking around for any guards that might come gunning out for her, but all was quiet. Quickly she went over to Alex, crouching down beside him, "Yes I'm loose, but like I said we can't run away right now. Alex, earlier you said you had a plan?"

"Yeah." He looked cautiously over to where Lock-nah had disappeared, "It's this."

Carefully and quickly he lifted the canister of water and tipped it out onto the sand behind a stone. Kat jerked her head to him, "That was our drinking water."

"If you make googoo eyes with Grumpy over there again, I'm sure he'll give you more. Besides, this is the plan." Alex bent down and started to scoop out the wet sand, "Like you said, mom and dad are probably going to come here, but they won't know where else the bracelet showed me to go next so…I'm going to leave them a clue." His hand deftly began to make shapes out of the moist sand and soon he was building a little sand sculpture.

"Alex that's brilliant!" Kat exclaimed quietly, though her smile sudden dissolved and she raised an eyebrow, "Really? 'Googoo eyes with Grumpy'?"

Alex shrugged, "Wasn't that what you two were doing just now?"

"No, he was offering me a position with him in Imhotep's new world order." Kat replied.

Alex shook his head, forming another structure in the sand, "That guy is strange. Hey, do you think I should leave my tie here so they'll find this? It's already all wet.

* * *

 _Writer's Note: I hope no one minds the long chapter, sometimes I start writing and it just doesn't stop haha. Anyways, enjoy! A big thank you to everyone who reviews this story, it not only makes my day, but helps contribute to the story!_

 _*In my haste to upload I'm sorry for any typos or mistakes this chapter has if there are any, I ended up staying up late to write it and my proof-reading gets a little flawed :/_


	9. Modern Travels, Ancient Memories

Chapter 9, Modern Day, Karnak

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

( _Summary: Anck-su-Namun's memories have been restored by Imhotep during the night. Inadvertently Imhotep simultaneously restores Evie's past memories as she races to Karnak with Rick, Jonathon, Izzie and Ardeth to save their son and his nanny. Kat remains unaffected by Imhotep's black magic.)_

Kat rose early beside a sleeping Alex and quietly faced off to the east, the sun just peeking in through the enormous columns, lighting half the sky. She kneeled on the worn stone floor, swept clean of sand at the moment by the ever-constant breeze snaking through Karnak. A breeze that would be pleasant in the heat of noon, but an annoyance if one tried to sleep in the temple at night.

Like last night.

Kat sleepily untied her hair and let it hang down at her sides, bowing as she began to pray her morning Tefillah-Shacharit, or morning prayers. Typically it would only take twenty minutes for her, but with so many distractions on her mind she only finished just as the rest of the camp was getting up.

According to what Alex told the guards, and the secret sand castle he had made to tell his parents, they would be traveling to Philae today.

The guards came and thrust some bread and water at Alex and Kat, about fifteen minutes later Lock-nah rounded them up toward the outside of the temple building where an entire herd of camels grunted in the already-heating air.

Kat looked around, squinting in the light. Red guards scrambled across the sand, forcing the more stubborn camels forward by rope off the train-where apparently the animals had been kept up to this point.

Lock-nah nudged Kat and Alex forward, up towards one of the tan camels. It was standing unconcernedly, chewing on something. Alex's little nose wrinkled as he approached the camel, the smell hitting him, "Are we expected to ride these, then?"

"Get up there!" Lock-nah replied with a gravely voice, hands already lifting Alex up onto the saddle. "Whoa!" Alex exclaimed, scrambling to get himself balanced on the saddle.

The camel's legs wobbled slightly, still weak from the train ride apparently. Lock-nah noticed and paused, "…Well I guess you two won't be riding together then, it looks like this beast won't be ready for that kind of weight yet."

Kat quickly glanced up at Alex, "I'll walk."

Lock-nah smirked, "I don't think so, we've got a long ways to go." He stepped over a few yards, grabbed a camel by the reins and led it over. The breeze stirred his red cape, fluttering around his arms. The orange light reflecting off his large, dark muscles as he walked back. Kat considered him quietly…he would make a good, strong ally in a new world order. Probably he would be put in charge of Imhotep's soldiers or something like that.

"Here." He handed her the reins before he walked off into the crowd of guards and camels that surrounded them, buzzing energy of movement making the desert seem awake.

Kat grimaced up at her camel.

Of course. Of course it would be a camel. The one animal she made pains to avoid on every expedition to Egypt the O'Connells took her on.

She looked around, men were tutting their camels down and swinging their legs over the camels easily before getting up and trotting around. Kat stared at her camel who eyed her back with large, dark eyes rimmed by thick, crusty lashes. Kat made a face, looking down at the wide feet of the animal, "…Don't you step on me."

…

Imhotep walked out past the columns and gazed across the morning desert. Watching the red clothed men among the camels, he breathed in the morning air deeply. The air was sweet at Karnak in the mornings, it was something he had forgotten.

…

 _(Ancient Flashback: Imhotep's Childhood)_

 _A young tan boy sat on the stone ledge of the pool, crouching over a bundle of green reeds he wove quietly, head bent with his single dark side braid dangling just over his shoulder. A few priests walked around the columns carrying various items to and from the inner rooms as the temple began to wake up. Imhotep looked up at the slowly lighting sky as it cast orange shafts of light on the brightly colored pictures on the columns overhead. A warm breeze rippled softly over the water behind him, waving the fronds of the green plants that crowded along the outer edges of the pool. He drank in the smell of the breeze, in the early mornings it smelled almost as sweet as a rainfall. Imhotep looked back down at the woven green strands. His project was nearly complete. His fingers deftly tied the ends up. He picked his handmade sail from off of the stone ledge beside him, made from leftover papyrus paper and tied to a twig. Carefully he attached the sail to the woven reeds and set it ever so gently down onto the surface of the water. A very simple boat._

 _The gently blowing breeze rippled the water and caught the tiny sail, slowly churning the boy's boat out into the center of the pool. Imhotep watched it drift away from him, listening to the patter of the priest's sandals gently slapping against the stone temple floors around him._

 _The boy smiled. He liked mornings because it meant he could be alone and didn't have to avoid anyone or start on his studies, as most everyone was still asleep._

 _(End Flashback)_

 _…_

Imhotep looked up suddenly, breaking himself out of his memory. He raised a dark eyebrow. Amongst the camels and red men, there was a bit of scene happening.

The girl, Kat, was dangling off an irately groaning camel's neck as it trotted around in circles, kicking up sand. She was shouting something, tangled hair flying everywhere.

Two red men ran up to try to stop the camel, one managing to grab the camel's tail as the other dived for a leg, but missed, kicking up a cloud of dust.

 _Snnrk._

A strange sound, almost a choking noise came from the back of Imhotep's throat. He grinned, flashing white teeth as the choking noise transformed into a short laugh.

Imhotep crossed his arms and leaned against a statue, watching merrily as the red man holding the tail was dragged over the sand, Kat still holding on to the camel and trying very unsuccessfully to lift a foot up onto it. The dragged red man finally let go in another cloud of dust as Kat kept shouting at the animal.

Imhotep laughed again, the wrinkles by his eyes deepening.

"Ah!" Shouting with alarm Kat's voice changed as one of her hands slipped off and she dangled by one arm as the camel picked up the pace. Imhotep's teeth disappeared but still smiling he lifted an open palm up. In just a couple seconds Kat was lifted up onto the saddle, like she had been given a large, invisible boost.

Imhotep shook his head, walking back into the temple as the red men continued to scramble about.

Within ten more minutes they were leaving Karnak.

…

 **Scene Change: Traveling**

Kat was fairly certain she could no longer feel her butt. The desert sun beat down on the group as their camels swayed, carrying them further out into the sand.

Beside her Alex contented himself with a book, swaying easily with his camel. Kat wiped strands of sticking hair off her sweaty forehead, feeling the burning sun piercing down onto the top of her head and face. She could feel the burn so intensely in some places she now avoided touching them altogether. Lock-nah rode beside her and Alex, with Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun in front.

That had been something that had happened at the start of their journey with the camels, Meela informed everyone that they should now call her Anck-su-Namun.

Imhotep wore his black scarf around his head, protecting his shaved scalp from the desert sun. Anck-su-Namun, already very tan, didn't appear to want or need anything.

All this riding had certainly given Kat plenty of time to think. One such thought that kept reoccurring was the mystery of the invisible push she had been given on her camel. One minute she was dangling for her life by one arm and the next, she felt herself being physically pushed up onto the saddle, though no one had touched her. It was the strangest and most unsettling feeling she had ever experienced. And she was almost positive, as she kept glancing at the swaying black form in front of her riding on his camel, that she could guess how it happened.

The sun was now directly overhead and Kat was beginning to wonder if they would ever stop for a rest when Imhotep slowed his camel and raised his hand, looking up at the sky.

Lock-nah shouted something in a different language and the camels were all made to stop. Various 'tutting' erupted and the camels began to drop down into the sand, their riders getting off. Lock-nah was already pulling Alex off, saying something roughly to the boy.

Kat pulled on her camel's reins and 'tut tut tutted' until it dropped to the ground like the others. Legs stiff and wobbly Kat stumbled off, arms waving. The soft ground didn't help with her balance and titling dangerously Kat promptly landed on her numb butt, "Umph!"

She sighed, squinting in the light bouncing up from off the sand. Lovely. If she never saw a camel or sand again after all this, it would be too soon.

A shadow passed over her and her head snapped up to see Imhotep standing above her, her eyes opened wider. He looked down at her with a bland, apathetic gaze, blocking out the sun with his head. Then his eyebrow twitched as the corners of his mouth turned downward.

He reached with a hand and swept back his robe before he crouched next to Kat, black eyes watching her, "…The sun does not agree with you."

Kat stared back, feeling confused and very embarrassed under his close gaze. Abruptly he lifted a hand holding a small container, he dipped a finger in it and brought it up between them both. His finger was coated in a clear jelly. Then without so much of a blink he flicked his finger out and dabbed the tip of her nose.

Kat's eyes popped open wide, looking cross-eyed at the cool splotch of jelly on her nose.

 _Snnrk._

Imhotep snorted through his nose, smile growing on his lips. He held the container out with a few fingers, "For the burns."

Eyes flickering between his smiling eyes and the container Kat slowly reached out and took it from him, too astonished for words. He rose up and walked off to the far side of the dune, surveying the land, as if nothing significant had happened.

Anck-su-Namun strode across the sand, kicking it up as she passed Kat, who quickly had to look away as the fine grains sprayed out towards her face. Kat waved her hand, clearing the air. Looking up she could see Anck-su-Namun standing beside Imhotep, both holding each other's waists. Imhotep continued to look out across the desert as Anck-su-Namun rested her head on his shoulder, looking back. Almond eyes flashed as Kat caught her gaze.

Looking away Kat examined the jar she had just been given. It was small and made of colored glass. She lifted it to her nose, it smelled like… clean plant. Her nose tip had already stopped throbbing from the pain of the burn. Maybe aloe? She began to dab her finger into the container and carefully smeared the areas of her face and back of her hands where she could feel the burns the worst. Alex, fair child though he was, didn't need the aloe as he had no burns. Probably in part due to his genetics, Evie did have Egyptian in her. Kat quietly slipped the container into her pocket for future use.

Soon they were ready to go again and Kat was prepared for her camel now, leaning back as it tipped forward to get up with her on it. She was glad not to feel that strange sensation this time, the invisible force that had helped her the last time.

Discreetly she peeked up at Imhotep as he passed near her to get to his own camel, Anck-su-Namun still around his arm. The almond eyes were immediately there staring back, colder than anything should be in a desert. Kat's teeth clenched as a flicker of reality seemed to break again, Anck-su-Namun's form changing again to a strange one. One where her makeup transformed, her clothing altered and it was like she was a completely different person.

Kat watched them pass, Imhotep smirked as he walked by her camel, something Anck-su-Namun didn't see as she kept a steady, steely gaze on Kat. The hallucinating flicker passed and so did the couple, climbing back onto their camels as the group restarted their trek across the dunes.

…

 **Scene Change: Sandstorm**

After a couple days of travelling from Egyptian monument to monument the scenery and weather had been much the same but now the wind had picked up. Sand whipped roughly against the group, darkening the sky. Alex wrapped a handkerchief around his mouth.

Kat lifted her shirt and tried to breathe through her sweaty collar. Suddenly Lock-nah was beside her, shouting over the wind, "Take this!" His face was covered mostly by the red turban.

Kat squinted over, feeling every pelting grain of sand against her raw skin. Lock-nah held out a square of cloth that suspiciously matched the design of his cloak. Kat quickly reached out and took it, wrapping it around her lower face. Ahead of her, she could barely make out the figures of Anck-su-Namun and Imhotep. Anck-su-Namun's black hair whipped about, matching Imhotep's scarf edges in the driving wind. The dark whipping fabric and hair suddenly triggered something in Kat's mind.

…

 _(Ancient Flashback: Imhotep's Chambers)_

 _Black curtains whipped violently in the slowly darkening room, though it was still day outside. A dark cloud of sand had blown over the city below and was now charging up towards them. The sandstorm was just starting to lick at the outer walls of the palace as Katriel hurried into lord Imhotep's chambers, carrying a bowl of fastening pins. Her feet padded quickly against the smooth floors, hurrying her towards the open balcony where the curtains flashed and flared in the wind as the first particles of sand started to whip into the room._

 _Squinting in the gritty breeze Katriel quickly clutched a handful of pins from the bowl and reached up for the whipping curtains that twisted and writhed from her grip in the growing wind. Catching a corner of fabric she drew the curtain across the balcony, quickly snatching the other curtain from the far side and forcing the two whipping ends together. Fingers fumbling over the many pins she finally grabbed one and stabbed it into the fabric as far up as she could reach on her toes. Hurriedly she worked down, fastening the black curtains together across the balcony threshold, blocking the sand as the enormous curtains billowed like sails several feet into the room._

 _The storm was truly hitting the palace now as a gust of dust smashed against the curtains and yanked the top pin out. The curtains started to split apart, dust blowing into the room, scattering the bowl of pins across the floor._

 _"Ah!" Katriel grasped the curtains and tried to force them together, wind hitting the curtains in gusts that almost knocked her backwards as the giant curtains pummeled against her. Curtain against her face she tried to turn backwards to see a pin, but they had all blown out of sight. She clutched the fabric tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as the fabric smacked against her face. The gusts were so intense now that if she let go to find a pin to close the hole, the rest of the pins would be pulled free and then she'd never be able to close off the balcony. She couldn't move...and these kind of storms could last for hours._

 _Without warning Katriel felt a body next to hers. The curtain was being tugged together from higher up._

 _Katriel squinted against the thrashing curtains to see the muscled, bare arms quickly closing the curtain from even farther up than she had been able to reach. He was helping her fix the hole. The curtain billowed back in-between a gust and Katriel could suddenly see her rescuer._

 _Imhotep's shining eyes were dark with concentration as he secured the pins above, closing off the balcony. Katriel watched him frozen, clutching the black fabric with white knuckles. His shoulder brushed hers as he reached up._

 _He then looked down, dark curtain hanging around them his expression could only just be seen. His concentrated gaze disappeared, eyes meeting Katriel's. He raised an eyebrow, before backing away. Having successfully joined the curtains and blocked off the balcony in a black sail of fabric he walked back to his desk where he sat down and bent his head over a scroll, the torches in the room glowing now in the darkness that enveloped them. As if the encounter had been nothing._

 _Katriel blinked then quickly backed off from the pulsing curtains. She bent down and began collecting the pins from the spilled bowl as a faint shade of pink stayed on her cheeks._

 _(End Flashback)_

…

More travelling and they arrived at a small sandy bank of a river as the sun started to go down. The oasis was enclosed by high cliffs that blocked the wind. The guards began to set up the tents as Kat got down off her camel and stood beside Alex, who had just finished having another vision. Lock-nah was there as well, "Where to next, boy?"

Kat's eyes trailed over Lock-nah's attire, his cloak indeed did have fabric cut out of it. He **had** ripped his clothes to make a handkerchief for her during the sandstorm. Kat reached up and fingered the make-shift handkerchief still around her neck.

That had been... _nice_ of him.

"Just that way." Alex pointed off in the distance where the river turned, trailing along the canyon walls.

The guards were beginning to pitch up the black tent that housed Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun when Imhotep looked back over his shoulder, arm wrapped around Anck-su-Namun's shoulder, and addressed Lock-nah, "I require no tent tonight, we shall lay under the stars."

Night fell quickly and the high cliffs surrounding them kept the area from being chilled by the wind or disturbed by flying sand. It was an ideal place to lay under the desert stars, and soon there were many stars.

Twinkling high above the canyon cliffs thousands of stars lit up the night sky. Kat lay beside Alex on a blanket as she gazed up at the sparkling dots, one hand behind her head. With little difficulty she found several constellations and promptly pointed them out to Alex in whispers.

"…and there's Orion." She concluded, pointing up at the characteristic three stars that made up the constellation's belt.

"Did you know that the pyramids of Giza were built to match up to Orion's belt?" Alex whispered back.

"No I didn't."

"And they believed that it symbolized their god, Osiris-he was the dead guy in charge of resurrection, his brother killed him. His wife brought him back, they had a baby and then he died again and got all cut up by his angry brother. He's in charge of all the underworld people now. They don't actually believe people die though, just go to other places with their spirits." Alex explained.

Kat frowned, "How can you manage to remember that but not even five of the ten commandments?"

"I don't know, mom talks about this more." Alex shrugged.

Kat looked back up at the stars, she'd have to be more instrumental in Alex's spiritual development when they got back home. He seemed to enjoy stories about religions. She should probably talk with him about Moses then, there was hardly a more interesting story than him in Jewish history.

Kat glanced over to where Imhotep lay, farther out from the group.

He lay on a spread out blanket, one arm under his head easily as the other lay out, Anck-su-Namun resting her head on it like a pillow. Imhotep gazed up at the stars, a contented smile lighting his face. Though Kat couldn't see the face of Anck-su-Namun, she guessed if the woman wasn't staring daggers it was probably because she was sleeping.

Earlier she overheard some guards speaking as they traveled during one of the nights, apparently Imhotep didn't sleep. Ever.

Kat watched him now that he wasn't covered in the usual tent. He appeared at ease as he gazed up at the stars. Something about it was…familiar again.

"Kat?"

"Yes, Alex?"

"After tomorrow morning, it will have been the seventh morning of putting the bracelet on." Alex said. Though he didn't say anything, they both knew what he meant.

He had only a short amount of time to get to the pyramid of Ahm Shere before the bracelet sucked his life out.

"I know. We're close now though, aren't we? Well probably get there tomorrow night, otherwise we wouldn't have stopped." Kat replied, trying to keep her voice calm and reassuring.

"Yeah."

"Get some sleep, Alex. We'll be there tomorrow and once the bracelet is off we'll escape and find your parents. I'm sure they're not far behind." Kat said.

"Right." Alex turned over, closing his eyes.

Out of the corner of her eye Kat kept watch on Imhotep as he stroked at the black head resting on his arm and slowly her eyes closed.

…

 ** _(Dream)_**

 ** _Kat looked down at herself, she was wearing a rough dress and no shoes. Her hair tied back in a low ponytail. Around the room was a mixture of golden and black decorations and furniture all lit by torches along the hieroglyphed walls. A large balcony lay off to the side of the room and through the gently rippling black curtains she could see the sun just coming up. Suddenly the door opened to the room._**

 ** _Imhotep strode in, black robe billowing behind him._**

 ** _Kat froze, not because Imhotep was in her dream, but because she had been expecting him. She bowed her head, her long curly pony tail fell forward._**

 ** _She heard a soft thump and looked up to see Imhotep fall face-down onto a great, gilded bed framed by more rippling curtains._**

 ** _She tentatively approached, watching him. There had been a festival last night, she hadn't gone but Imhotep had been busy with it all night. As he was a high priest he was expected to keep himself clean by several washings a day, but his sweaty smudged face pressed into the blanket, uncaring._**

 ** _Kat walked back and grabbed a pitcher, dumping water out into a bowl on the stand. She took a cloth and the bowl and walked back over to the bed. Her dream self was_** _concerned_ ** _about Imhotep._**

 ** _She reached out carefully and touched his arm, barely brushing it with her fingertips. Imhotep's eyes opened, his dark eyes framed by thick lashes. He stared at her._**

 ** _"Grant me your leave." Kat said softly, eyes shifting to look at his black robe._**

 ** _Imhotep sat up with a sigh, holding his arms out. Kat carefully slipped his arms out of the robe and folded it around one arm. She wrung the cloth in the bowl of water on the floor and handed the damp cloth up to him as she expertly crossed the room to hang the robe up on a stand. Knowing exactly where everything was in the dream world._**

 ** _Imhotep wiped his face with the cloth and handed it back the moment Kat returned. He lifted his feet and Kat immediately knelt down and washed them in the bowl, carefully scrubbing around the soles of his feet. Trying with a growing flush on her face to not touch his skin with hers. It was a thought that seemed to greatly disturb dream-Kat._**

 ** _Done with his feet she took away the bowl and he lay back down in his bed. His face relaxed and uncaring. Kat walked back across the room and drew the large dark curtains over the bright balcony before disappearing out the door._**

 ** _For a moment a brightly lit, colorful hall filled her line of sight._**

 ** _The hieroglyphs coloring the walls shimmered and suddenly she was looking down at a scroll full of hieroglyphs. She was young now, just a little girl. The glyphs didn't make any sense to her but a finger was pointing to them, "Scribe…official…Oldman…praises…pharaoh…at dawn."_**

 ** _Kat looked up and watched Imhotep, his face younger and less defined. He was explaining to her, teaching her. He turned his head to look at her, eyes bright, "The highly-esteemed scribe is giving pharaoh honor early in the morning. See? Simple."_**

 ** _Kat smiled but then the dream faded and she was rushing back through the hall, hair flying. With a sinking feeling she ran, she had slept in and was terribly late. She burst through the double doors, flying back into the room with the balcony. She skidded to a stop._**

 ** _Imhotep was at his washing bowl, his arms still glistening from the water. He was getting himself ready._**

 ** _He looked up at her, taking in her haggard and frantic form. His eyes lingering on the mess of hair she knew had seen better days. She had not had time to get ready after waking, having been so late._**

 ** _Would he be angry?_**

 _Snrk._

 ** _His head ducked down, he chortled as he continued to rub his arms with water from the bowl._**

 ** _(End Dream)_**

 ** _…_**

Kat's eyes flew open as she heard shouting.

"Leaving breadcrumbs, eh?!"


	10. Modern Alliance

Chapter ten, Modern Day-Blue Nile opening scene

* * *

 **The Blue Nile Canyon:**

The sun was up, lighting the canyon valley. Kat's head jerked over to the side of the blanket, it was empty. Alex was gone. Quickly she scrambled up, searching. Her eyes landed on two risen figures over by the water.

Lock-nah was holding Alex up, shaking and yelling, muscles bulging. Kat's mouth hung open, slightly dazed-what was going on? Blinking quickly she darted for them to break them apart but then Lock-nah's head jerked to the side, he froze and slowly put the boy down. Kat ran over, seeing Imhotep waist high in the blue nile as Lock-nah watched him. As she ran forward she could make out that Imhotep was talking,

"-I hope your parents enjoyed their journey." Imhotep said in the different language, looking at Alex.

Kat's eyes widened as she neared, there was something in the way he spoke. Something intimidating.

The man from her dream was not standing in the water before her, this man had dark black eyes that reflected no light. She reached Alex, firmly placing herself between the boy and Lock-nah as Imhotep turned and faced the river. He took a deep breath, then shouted.

 _ **"BROOOOAAAAAAHHHHH!"**_

An inhuman roar erupted from him and with it the water of the river shot up into a huge wall towering a hundred feet high in a matter of seconds. Alex, Kat and Lock-nah all stumbled backwards, gaping up at the wall of blue water. Hands up, Imhotep lifted the wall higher, filling up almost to the top of the canyon cliffs' walls. Then he paused and with another thrust of his hands and a great roar (both from him and the wind and water around them) he shoved the enormous wall out of the valley, crashing through the canyon walls. After a moment, arms raised and river still rushing around him, Imhotep smiled.

 _ **"BROOOOAAAAHHHH!"**_ He raised his arms out wide, as if trying to catch the open air. Kat looked up as the canyon started to crack, rocks and debris falling down from the cliff walls. She grabbed Alex and quickly backed him away further from the trembling cliff walls as small stones tumbled down to hit her shoe.

Behind the stone tremblings, there were echoes of voices. Familiar voices.

A high pitched screaming tapered off after a rumble of stones and left no doubt to Kat and Alex as to who uttered it.

"Uncle Jon?" Alex blinked, realizing. His eyes popped wide, looking down into the canyon the nile had carved out, "Uncle Jon! Mom! Dad! They're here! They're just down here!"

Kat's face darkened as she whipped her head back to Imhotep. The large wall of water he made-he was trying to kill the O'Connells!

Imhotep stumbled forward, arms falling suddenly as if dropping something. Kat watched as he made a large scooping motion and lifted whatever had fallen back up again. Kat's hand trembled on Alex's shoulder, watching him. This was an inhuman being who could lift the nile…and he was going to drown Alex's family with it. She had to do something!

But what?

Kat's eyes widened as she stared at the creature in front of her, roaring in voice that had only creature-origins, lifting a nile and trying to kill a young boy's family. How could she fight this man, this monster? Her feet froze.

Imhotep lunged forward and the voices echoed through the canyon again, and then…

Imhotep dropped his arms, a sudden silence resounded across the canyon. Imhotep grinned and walked out of the water, splashing his ankles now as most of the water had receded into the giant wall.

There were no more voices.

Alex looked off into the water, "…Mom?...Dad?"

Imhotep walked up to the two, smirked as he put a hand on the top of Alex's head as he had for Kat earlier. Alex angrily shoved the hand off as Imhotep kept walking, not breaking stride.

Kat watched as he rejoined Anck-su-Namun and Hafez, the black-haired woman staring at him with true astonishment. Her hands halting a moment before he himself wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Kat looked back down at Alex, she suddenly fell down to her knees and wrapped the boy in a tight hug. His arms squeezed her closely back. Her cowardice and failure to act had cost him his parents. But what could she have done?

"We'll see them again, I promise." Kat whispered in his ear. One way or another they would. Without the O'Connell's to save them, it was only a matter of time before Kat and Alex were found less than useful to this group.

Kat felt her heart skip a beat as she held Alex close, there was only one thing that could save them now:

She looked up at Lock-nah. Meeting his gaze.

...

 **Rafting Down the Blue Nile:**

Soon the group was moving down the river, rafts being constructed out of the supplies and loaded up with people. Kat had made sure Alex and her were on separate rafts, and her and Lock-nah were on the same. It ended up being the same raft with Imhotep, Anck-su-Namun and Hafez-a few nameless red guards aboard as well. Anck-su-Namun and Imhotep stood up front and Lock-nah and Kat were in the back, within eyesight of Alex. Lock-nah had watched the loading of the rafts with interest, now as they moved down the river he spoke, voice deep and mistrustful, "Is this a plan to separate me from the boy in an escape attempt? I should hope not."

Kat looked over to Alex in the other raft, out of ear shot and struggling against a hand on his arm by a different guard. Kat took a deep breath through her nose and faced Lock-nah, his chocolate brown eyes staring at her with a brow raised.

"No. You…earlier you were saying something about a new world power. I can see how poorly I understood that now, witnessing what I just did. That was…incredible." Kat said, feeling her stomach start to churn in sickness from what she was doing. She ignored it.

"…You're reconsidering my offer?" Lock-nah asked slowly.

Kat stared straight back in his eyes, leaning in closer, "You still want to partner with me, don't you?"

Lock-nah stared silently for a moment, blinking. Then a small smile tugged across his lips.

"I want to accept your offer, if it's not too late." Kat said, looking away. She didn't like that smile of his.

"It is not too late." Lock-nah said.

Kat closed her eyes, lowering her voice, "I'm glad...but..."

"But what?"

"There is only one _problem_ :…Anck-su-Namun."

Kat opened her eyes to see Lock-nah's head turn and eyes narrow slightly. "What of her?" He asked quietly back not wanting to rouse the attention of anyone nearby, deep suspicion in his tone though. He was not about to betray his employers, wondering if that was the plan she was going for.

"I don't think…she likes me much. How can I change that?" Kat asked, glancing discreetly over to where Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun stood beside each other, looking out at the Nile and canyon.

Lock-nah's eyes relaxed slightly, a smirk returning to his face.

"Your favor with lord Imhotep has not gone unnoticed…I've known Meela for some time now, she's never had any sort of competition…in anything." Lock-nah replied quietly.

"She's jealous?" Kat blinked.

"You would be blind to miss it." Lock-nah's smirk widened, glancing over at Anck-su-Namun and Imhotep. He continued, "I can think of a way that may work…simply remove the competition. Ensure _she_ knows that you know where things stand. Tell her that you wish to offer services to her. She will need a handmaid once she becomes ruler with lord Imhotep, and she could never be jealous of a servant."

"Will that be enough?" Kat wondered, recalling the ice-cold glares of the soon-to-be queen of the world.

"No. She trusts me, stay close to me and I can protect you." Lock-nah leaned in, extending an open palm.

Kat looked down at his hand, the same one that had offered her the fabric from his own cloak in the sandstorm. He had kidnapped her, but he had also never really hurt her. He had even gone out of his way to help her from time to time. She glanced over to Alex on the other boat, still preoccupied with struggling out of the grip of a guard. She could only save him if she switched allies.

As if her body were a machine and she were watching Kat felt her hand rise up and grasp Lock-nah's. Her fingers tiny in his massive grip.

He smiled, the edges of the smile curling ever slightly as the intensity of his stare increased.

…

 **Entering Ahm Shere:**

Soon the Oasis of Ahm Shere was in sight, the cliffs parting to reveal a lush green jungle that had no place in the middle of the barren desert.

Lock-nah jumped out of the raft and helped guide it up on the bank, the other rafts skidded to a halt alongside the sandbank of the jungle with them.

Kat stepped up towards the edge of the raft and hands were on her waist lifting her down to the bank. Lock-nah helped her down, placing her easily on the ground next to him. She looked up into his eyes, heat creeping over her face. His eyes turned to her cheeks, then he smiled, touching her cheek with a thick finger, "You're blushing."

Kat looked away. He took his hands off her and turned his attention back to the raft, pulling supplies off it with the rest of the group. Kat glanced up to see Anck-su-Namun watching her, daggers no longer in her stare as she glanced between the busy Lock-nah and Kat. Realizing something had changed.

Hafez stood before Imhotep, asking something to do with directions in poor Egyptian.

Kat swallowed, feeling her sweat turn cold in the shade of the tall jungle of palms. She walked up to Anck-su-Namun slowly, feet sinking in the sand. She would almost rather have it swallow her now and sink deep into it, away from what she was going to do.

She was going to give up on the O'Connells and all humanity. She was going to give up her freedom and whatever pride she had left after failing to intervene to save the O'Connells lives at the Nile.

Stopping directly in front of Anck-su-Namun she dropped to her knees, bowing her head down as she recalled she had from her dream. It seemed like a position she knew well-though she had never done it before.

"My lady," Kat began as Anck-su-Namun turned to look down on her, almond eyes black and unfeeling, "I know I am not worthy. Your beauty and intelligence are truly the worthy traits of a queen and I humble ask to be your handmaiden. I know of your disdain for me, but I wish to show no ill will. The demonstration of Imhotep's powers has made me realize my unworthiness and how I should like to serve you in whatever capacity I can. All I have, even my very life, I wish to give to serve you."

 _Hmph._

Anck-su-Namun raised a perfect eyebrow, looking down at Kat. Her lips pursed together as she contemplated, "So, you wish to be my servant? What of the boy you watch, aren't you supposed to be a nanny?"

"His parents are dead, I'm not getting paid anymore." Kat replied, not looking up.

"You look unfit, what makes you think I want you for a servant?" Anck-su-Namun said coolly.

A moment passed and Kat heard the sand shift, looking up she saw a pair of bare feet and ankles. Imhotep spoke from up above, "What is this?"

Anck-su-Namun wrapped an arm around his waist, looking down at Kat with a raised, unimpressed eyebrow, "The nanny wishes to enter into our service."

"Of course." Imhotep said. Kat's head snapped up, seeing Anck-su-Namun looking at him equally surprised.

Kat glanced out of the corner of her eye to look over at Alex, being loaded off the raft some distance away. In a moment of inspiration she knew that now would be the time to press the continued survival of her charge, if ever there was a time within this last day of the bracelet.

Imhotep was looking down at her, eyes back to their very human looking, shining appearance. Different than how they had been when he was lifting the entire nile.

Anck-su-Namun looked at Imhotep, frowning deeply. Kat realized then that she couldn't let the woman hear this, and deep inside she somehow knew that Imhotep could understand Hebrew. Maybe because in her dream, he had understood it? Her parents had taught her classic Hebrew as part of her Jewish upbringing. The feeling was so strong, she decided to try.

In Hebrew she addressed Imhotep, "Sir, I wish only to serve you, and when this is over, me and the boy will be your faithful servants."

"The boy?" Imhotep brow raised, answering easily in Hebrew back. "The O'Connell child was not meant for a life of servitude."

"He is like my son, where I go he will go as well." Kat replied.

"We shall see." Imhotep replied, words changing back into Egyptian.

Kat looked up but saw that a small smile tugged at his mouth, he seemed amused by the suggestion. Anck-su-Namun was watching him closely, brow still furrowed.

Imhotep faced Anck-su-Namun, smiling as he spoke ancient Egyptian he gestured to Kat, "Our new servants. The girl and the boy, one for each of us."

Anck-su-Namun turned sharply to look at Kat, clear disapproval on her face. Her mouth opened but nothing came out, she did not argue it.

Hafez called out and with a sigh Imhotep turned.

"We shall see." Anck-su-Namun mimicked quietly in English, looking coldly down her nose at Kat.

…

 **The Jungle:**

The group began their trek through the dense jungle, Imhotep leading the way with Anck-su-Namun beside him. Hafez, Lock-nah and Kat followed behind. The rest of the group followed behind in a long, thin line. Alex was now with another guard towards the back of the group as per Lock-nah's design.

Kat was by Lock-nah's side now. Fronds and branches were keeping Lock-nah busy as he hacked at them with his machete. For which Kat was grateful.

They kept hacking and walking through the forest as it slowly darkened from both denser green foliage and loss of light as the hours ticked by. Finally they stopped for a short break.

Kat sighed as everyone started to sit, she could finally check on Alex now. He must be getting worried, there were only so many more hours until sunrise. She started to walk back when Lock-nah's head jerked to her, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check on Alex." Kat replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Completely drenched in sweat she felt wet all over. There was a sharp pinprick on her neck, she slapped the mosquito frowning, that was probably the hundredth time she had gotten bitten since noon. It had been a miserable trek.

"I want my servant!" Anck-su-Namun shouted in Egyptian, unnecessarily loudly, looking over at Kat as she fanned herself with her hand. Kat looked back behind, thoughts going back to Alex before turning around towards Anck-su-Namun.

Great. Anck-su-Namun still didn't like her, being her servant was probably going to be the worst job she had ever taken. Lock-nah smirked as Kat trudged over to the black-haired woman.

Imhotep came up then, his dark eyes looked over calmly as he said to Kat, "Slave, fetch the boy. He is to be Anck-su-Namun's servant."

Kat froze. Lock-nah's smirk dissolved.

Anck-su-Namun's eyes popped open wider as her head whipped, black hair whirring, to look at Imhotep, "The boy?"

Imhotep turned to look at her, his expression remained the same carefree and easy one. At staring a moment at Anck-su-Namun's expression he merely lifted an eyebrow, "The boy will be yours, as we said earlier. One for each of us."

"You mean to say the girl is yours?" Anck-su-Namun questioned, tone clipped.

Imhotep's brow wrinkled slightly, looking between Anck-su-Namun and Kat briefly, "Of course, the slave has always been mine."

Imhotep turned to Kat, waving a hand, "The boy. Go."

Kat looked between Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun, the woman stared at her with shock, face slowly turning purple. Looking down Kat turned and quickly hurried back, undergrowth slapping at her wet, exposed skin.

Getting away from them as quickly as she could she hurried back to Alex, the guards around her began lighting torches in the fading light, casting the surrounding jungle in an orange light that magnified the streaks of dark shadows behind the leaves.

Kat caught sight of Alex's golden hair amid the orange and black streaked foliage, he was sitting next to a large dark man all in red. Though this man wasn't quite as intimidating looking as Lock-nah, he was still quite an impressive looking guard.

Alex looked up with mild curiosity as Kat approached, "Hey. Anything good happening up front?"

Kat shot a look at the man beside Alex, "The lady Anck-su-Namun has requested the boy be brought forward, Imhotep instructs me to take him."

The guard frowned, brow darkening, "I go with the boy."

"Fine, we'll go together. Get your arm off him, she won't be happy if you bruise him. Come on Alex." Kat put a hand on Alex's back and hurried him in front of her as the large guard scrambled to get up and follow behind them.

Kat leaned down and whispered quickly as she pushed him up through the line of guards, "I've offered for us to be servants so that we won't be killed once we reach the pyramid, behave yourself and I'll get us out of this."

"Whoa." Alex said stopping.

Kat looked up to see Anck-su-Namun coming down the line, hitting the jungle away from her face. Her face was almost completely purple. In a few seconds she stood before them, looking down at the boy, speaking harshly, "Go back to where you were."

"You." Anck-su-Namun looked up at Kat, eyes steely, "I need to talk to you. Over there."

She gestured towards the jungle as the guard put a hand on Alex and steered him back. Alex's brown eyes flickered backwards, watching Kat anxiously. Kat carefully moved out of the light and into the jungle with Anck-su-Namun leading.

Almost instantly the orange streaking light from the torches disappeared and the ever darkening jungle surrounded them, but Anck-su-Namun continued into the jungle. After a couple minutes of silence she finally stopped.

Kat stopped as well, watching her dark figure turn in the shadows of the trees.

"I remember you now," Anck-su-Namun said, her words piercing the darkness, "you were the slave that died. There were rumors in the palace about the two of you, he spent so long on your burial preparations and would not hand you over to the other Hebrews. You were just a slave, why should the high priest care how you were prepared? Rumors that he killed you…some saying that he cared for you. I've always hated you."

Kat's mouth slowly opened, "…What? What are you talking about? I'm not a- what palace? I'm…not...you're confused."

"You think you can claim something over him?" Anck-su-Namun hissed.

Kat's eye twitched, heart picking up speed as she realized the sudden danger, "You're insane…"

"Ha! Enough talk, I don't care to hear you anymore." Anck-su-Namun took a step toward Kat and lunged a hand out.

Thump.

Kat felt a punch to her chest and Anck-su-Namun drew her arm back, something dark in her hand.

Her lips curled back as white teeth flashed in the darkness while she whispered through them, "He's mine."

Frowning Kat watched as she walked around her and back towards the direction of the group. Kat looked around, confused. The punch still lingered on her chest and she reached a hand up to touch…warmth. Wet, warmth.

Kat looked down, the darkness closing in around her making it hard to see. She pulled her hand close up to her face as the breeze rustled the leaves above her, moonlight peeking in and lighting her hand up. Her black-covered hand.

Kat blinked, "I'm…bleeding."

Then the pain started to grow in her chest. Eyes widening she gripped at her shirt, falling to her knees as blood drenched the front of her chest. The sweat on her body started to turn cold as the pain grew and grew, feeling like a squeezing and a tear at the same time.

"She…stabbed me." Kat gasped in the darkness, "…I'm…dying?"

She looked around, "H-help! Someone…help…"

The ground was pressing against her face roughly. How had that happened? Everything was turning cold as the pain continued, horrible, wrenching pain in her chest. Every breath was labored, becoming more difficult to suck in. Dizzied thoughts of panic swirled around her and then all there was left was the darkness.

After a moment, Kat felt her heart spasm to a stop.

* * *

 _Writer's note: ooooh cliffy...don't worry, story isn't over yet ;). Just out of curiosity, how are people feeling about the length of the recent chapters? Are they a good length for you or would you prefer longer/shorter? I'd appreciate any feedback, thank you :)_


	11. Death Is Only the Beginning

Chapter Eleven

* * *

 ** _Katriel's Limbo._**

 _A floating world of waiting, blowing curtains and centuries passed with ease before her eyes. Though she did not have eyes anymore. Simply she knew and she saw with that. No one spoke, but always in the distance like beautiful chimes was a song and the song changed and floated and she yearned to be in the song but it was not yet meant to be. She could not enter beyond the cloud that kept her and the light that illuminated the distant horizon was close but out of reach. A beautiful, kind man visited her often, but they did not speak. After wandering in this waiting world for hours -that she knew was actually thousands of years- she felt a pull._

 _A downward call reached up to her and it was then time to go, like water being let out through the drain she was drawn downwards towards the earth. She watched without eyes as the whole earth became a desert, the desert became a jungle and the jungle became a body lying in its own blood under the dark canopy. Through the gaping wound in the body's chest Katriel entered. All was dark, and then her heart started to beat. Gasping in air through lungs that expanded at her will Katriel opened her eyes within the body, looking around at the slowly lighting, encompassing jungle._

…

Kat blinked, mouth open. She reached up and touched her chest, the wound and the pain were gone.

She slowly lowered her hand. Memories that were hers and yet conflicted with memories she already had mingled in her head. She recalled two different sets of her past: being raised in Egyptian palace corridors by bald servants and being raised by English parents across the European country-side.

"I…am Katriel." Kat blinked. "I remember. I was waiting to save master Imhotep…"

She staggered up onto her feet, feeling slightly awkward. She had never left her body, yet part of her had left and that part struggled with controlling a body when it had been without one for so long. Did that…make sense? Kat shook her head, what mattered now was that she get to the center of Ahm Shere and find Imhotep. And find Alex.

She felt something hit against her from inside her pocket. She reached her fingers in and pulled out a small glass container. The one with the aloe inside that Imhotep had given her.

Imhotep….

She stared at the glass, her eyes longingly searching it, willing it to reflect the image of her master and his face when he had given it to her: she could nearly see his smile as the folds of his skin pulled up higher as he stared at her with his black, perfect eyes.

Her heart skipped. How far from him was she now? The glass glinted in the light.

Kat suddenly froze, looking up. The canopy leaves where tinged with soft light filtering through them. How much time had passed? Was it dawn now? The bracelet! It would kill Alex at dawn if he wasn't inside the pyramid!

Kat bolted through the jungle, racing against the growing light of day. Tree limbs whipped at her face and arms but she didn't care. She jumped over logs and crunched over the undergrowth, heart pounding and face flushing.

As she ran memories flashed before her eyes as clear as the jungle around her: Her face in a water basin, her colorful hairband (the only treasure she owned), the palace lit by torches as guards made rounds under the moon, fetching water from the well as the other slaves gossiped. She rushed through an undergrowth patch and suddenly came out into a grassy clearing-grass as high as her shoulders. She paused, looking around in the growing light. The grass was all twisted and bent around, like a great group had not only passed through but scattered throughout the area. Glinting in the light of morning, the top of the legendary pyramid of Ahm Shere could be seen just above the waving canopy leaves. She had to cross the grass to get to it. Kat took a few steps in, her foot stepping on a soft log.

A soft log?

She looked down, "Ah!" She hopped back quickly, realizing she had stepped on a body as it lay on the ground. One of the red guards. A dead guard.

A few other red flashes of bodies on the ground could be seen when the breeze shifted the grasses. What exactly had she missed?

Kat walked around the body and continued wading through the grass until she stumbled over another body-another dead red guard. Kat's nose scrunched and she brushed the grass aside, looking at the ground before she stepped through the field. She scooped a tuft of grass aside and saw a pair of familiar glazed over eyes staring up at her from the ground.

 _Gasp._

Kat's mouth opened, looking down at the silently staring face of Lock-nah. Blood covered his throat in a clean line-someone had slit his neck with a blade. Kat's heart raced, if Lock-nah was dead…what were the chances that Alex and Imhotep were injured…or worse?

Drawing her kerchief, Kat bent down in the grasses-watching Lock-nah's dead stare carefully. He did not move, he did not blink or breathe. He just stared at her unseeingly with cloudy eyes.

He too had been Imhotep's faithful servant, and he had not been cruel to her either.

"You deserve a decent burial, for all you've done…but all I can manage for now, is this." She wrapped the handkerchief around Lock-nah's eye's, closing them for him forever.

"Goodbye, Lock-nah."

Getting up she looked at the glinting pyramid top over the trees and continued wading through the grass, stepping over dead bodies as quickly as she could.

…

Finally stumbling out of the jungle into the clearing, Kat looked up at the pyramid, its stones already white in the illuminating sun. She looked around, there was no one here.

Perhaps they were inside already? She hoped Alex had made it. She hoped Imhotep had made it as well.

Her eyes popped as she saw blood spotting the sand and several footprints leading in to the pyramid from the area.

 ** _RUMBLE! RUMBLE!_**

Kat staggered. The pyramid was vibrating, shaking the ground beneath her feet like an earthquake. Grasping a nearby statue paving the way to the pyramid she held on until the shaking subsided. Noticing as the quake stopped the groaning trees around the pyramid continued to sway violently. Wind began to whip her hair into her face, carrying with it small leaves and jungle debris.

Something was upsetting Ahm Shere.

Kat looked up at the monumental pyramid and ran inside. The walls were lit with torches as she entered into the underbelly of the pyramid's tunnels. She ran, hair flying, heart racing, feet pumping. Another quake erupted under her and above her, parts of wall crumbling down as the floor cracked. Gripping the walls she fought her way through the earthquake and down the hall. A large intersection impeded her direct path and flinching against the tremors of the pyramid she studied the hieroglyphs on the walls. She closed her eyes, concentrating. An old memory resurfaced.

…

 **Ancient Flashback**

 _Katriel knelt on the hard floor, vigorously scrubbing the furniture bases with her oiled rag, sealing the wood against pests and rot with polish. Imhotep was sitting in his chair, silently reviewing scrolls with a bent head. The curtains breezed in the wind from off the balcony and the warmed mid-day aromas rising from a lower courtyard wafted up into the room, filling it with scents of exotic plants._

 _Katriel stopped scrubbing, wiping a strand of wet hair from her forehead, surveying her work. Everything in the room was spotless from the swept floors to the dusted walls. And now that all the woodwork was sitting in a film of protective, shiny coating, there was nothing left for her to do but return to the slave's quarters._

 _Perhaps the new girl, Adina, would want to play with her? Did other Hebrew girls still play? Katriel wasn't certain…she hadn't ever really been around many people her age in the palace._

 _She wrapped her rag around the small glass bottle of oily polish and stood, rubbing the stiff muscles in her neck with her free hand._

 _As she stood she glanced at the parchment in front of Imhotep at his desk and stood with her neck craned to see the pictures and scribbles he so diligently studied._

 _Katriel wasn't even taught the Egyptian language until she came here, she had no school and had never learned to read outside of what Hebrew the older slaves taught her after chores._

 _Katriel studied the colorful pictures from a distance, they seemed to swirl with interesting messages-though how anyone could decipher those messages was beyond her. Sometimes pictures weren't even used and parchment and scrolls would just be a jumble of squiggles that (impossibly) made sense to the literate._

 _Imhotep's head lifted slightly. The noise from her cleaning had stopped and he noticed. He turned in his chair slightly and caught her staring at the scroll he was working on._

 _Imhotep raised an eyebrow, "…You're finally done then?"_

 _Katriel looked over, noticing his eyes on her. She quickly bent to the ground in a low bow, "I apologize for disturbing you. I am finished."_

 _Imhotep looked at the scroll, then back to her, he had caught her looking at it. His brow lowered slightly as he thought, suddenly an eyebrow flickered up as if a sudden, unusual decision had been reached, "…You can't read, can you?"_

 _"No, master."_

 _"Hmph. Most Egyptians cannot either, even with Hieroglyphs being the simplest to understand…" Imhotep commented casually, looking back over to his scroll._

 _Katriel bowed and took a step to leave._  
 _"Even this symbol here is easy enough to understand. Tell me, what do you think this one means?" Imhotep said, halting Katriel's retreat._

 _Katriel looked over at him, he gestured lazily to a picture on the papyrus parchment. Katriel slowly walked over, stopping a few feet behind him. He pointed to a picture of a scarab beetle._

 _"A…beetle, sir?"_

 _"The scarab, 'Kheperu', a symbol of reincarnation. In this context it means a manifestation of someone else, an incarnation or version of another person." Imhotep said, gesturing with boredom to another glyph, "Tell me what you see here."_

 _"I see…a cross?"_

 _"An 'Ankh', the symbol of life. Only those wishing for immortality carry the cross…so naturally no one does but the gods." Imhotep smirked._

 _Katriel leaned over more, glancing cautiously between the glyphs and Imhotep who was rubbing his own stiff neck muscles, "…And this one, sir?"_

 _She pointed to a half circle with three lines over it. Imhotep glanced at this briefly, "'Neb', master. Do you recognize it?" He asked easily._

 _Katriel nodded, "…in the slave quarters, that word is on the walls often."_

 _Imhotep paused and Katriel looked over at him, blinking as she realized how close she had leaned in to the desk to see the glyphs. He was right beside her, shimmering eyes only a few inches from hers. Kat quickly looked away and back off a few steps, face reddening. She was not supposed to get this familiar with a master, reservation and hard labor were the attributes of a dutiful slave._

 _"Hm. I've never been to the slave quarters. I wonder… what exactly is written down there. Remember the hieroglyphs and bring them back for me to read, I'm bored with these official texts." Imhotep looked down at the scroll, waving a hand for her to go._

 _Katriel blinked, that was an unusual request._

 _He looked up, "Well go on, you can't possibly have anything left to clean in this room."_

 _Katriel flushed redder._

 _"If you're quick in retrieving the glyphs I'll teach you what they mean and you can know what it is the palace officials forgot you could not understand." He smirked, no doubt wondering who had been in charge of that little oversight. Illiterate slaves were not really a new concept._

 _Katriel's eyes widened, he was going to teach her to read?_

 _"Y-yes sir, right away." She hurried out of the room._

 _Imhotep looked down his nose at the parchment in front of him as bugs buzzed outside the balcony in the heat of day. Anything was better than these historical accounts of past embalmings he had to review. Perhaps this would be entertaining at the least?_

 **End Flashback**

…

Kat opened her eyes and stared at the glyphs, understanding their meaning as she searched the pictures. The hall opened to the right and to the left, and for each were the directions for which way meant which.

"This way…Scorpion…King." Kat sounded out. She looked down the hall as another tremor rumbled the building to its very core.

If anyone was alive yet, they would be down this way. And if not…Kat shuddered as she recalled the tales of the Scorpion King whispered by the Egyptians at Thebes.

Kat raced down the hallway, heart beating frantically as the exercise and thought of her running inevitably to her certain doom seemed to toll louder with each resounding shake of the walls.

Suddenly she skidded to a stop outside an open door frame, peering in through the rumbling and crumbling room beyond.

"Jonathon? Alex!" Kat gasped, seeing the gangly figure of Jonathon standing beside Alex. They whipped around at hearing their names.

"Kat!" Alex shouted.

"My word! What happened to you?!" Jonathon stated, staring at Kat's shirt, the once white front covered in blood.

"No!" A familiar voice shouted, the voice of Evie.

Kat looked around the room, catching a glimpse of Evie in the doorframe next to Anck-su-Namun, who had just had their hands around each other's throats.

"Naaaaaaiiii!" Imhotep's voice cried out in despair from somewhere in the room. Kat looked immediately to the noise but a black cloud of ashen dust seemed to explode out, blocking everything from sight.

Before anything else could happen the room violently shook, careening Kat, Jonathon and Alex to the side. Blindly staggering back up, Kat thought she could hear Rick O'Connell's voice, but it was quickly drowned out by the pieces of ceiling cracking off and crashing into the floor.

Kat looked around as the black cloud cleared, the room was breaking into pieces around them. A piece of ceiling worked loose and fell towards the center of the room, right into a large fissure running the length of the area. Hands suddenly appeared over the edge of the fissure, a shaved head rising from it.

Imhotep!

Another set of hands gripped the fissure edge, pulling himself up beside Imhotep.

"Dad!" Alex shouted as Rick grunted, holding onto the ledge, pulling himself up enough for his head to show. Imhotep was beside him, grunting and struggling to get back up. Something must have been pulling them down. Imhotep's head slipped back below the fissure as he grunted, fingers straining against the stone.

Kat's eyes widened. He was going to fall!

She sprinted forward, but a hunk of ceiling crashed right in front of her and she quickly sought shelter by the wall, edging her way to Imhotep carefully as the room started to disintegrate.

Rick's head disappeared for a moment, "Arrggh!" He pulled his head back up, "Evie, no!"

Kat looked over to see Evie looking intently up at the ceiling, poising herself into a running position. The intensity of her gaze told of what she was planning to do: exactly what Kat had.

Rick shouted, voice gravely, "Get out of here! Just get out of here! **Noo**!" Evie dove out into the room, nearly falling backwards to avoid a falling hunk of ceiling.

"Mom!" Alex shouted.

Kat edged closer to the fissure as well, keeping one eye on Rick and Imhotep, one eye on the falling ceiling and one eye on Evie as she dodged another large chunk of crumbling pyramid. Like Kat Evie quickly retreated to large pillar for a moment, gauged the debris raining down, then dove out in a burst of speed.

"Hang on Rick!" Jonathon shouted as Rick's grip weakened and he was pulled down for a moment before popping up again with a heavy grunt. Evie dove, avoiding several chunks of ceiling, and grabbed hold of Rick.

Kat hurried closer to Imhotep, hugging the wall, out of sight of nearly everyone. She ran to a pillar, avoiding a colossal crash with falling stone as it just skimmed by her shoulder. She was so close to him now.

Imhotep was holding on, but his face was contorted as he struggled to keep himself up on the ledge. Evie pulled Rick up, inching him out of the fissure.

"Anck-su-Namun!" Imhotep shouted, reaching one hand out, all fingers extended towards Anck-su-Namun. She was still grasping at the door frame from the other side of the room.

"Save me!" He shouted in Egyptian, face contorting as his muscles bulged, losing the fight. The strength he had once had to lift a Nile was very clearly gone now.

Anck-su-Namun looked up at the falling ceiling of the inner room, eyes wide.

"SAVE ME!" He shouted again, eyes fearful and tone heightened. His other hand holding on to the ledge as he stretched out his open one to Anck-su-Namun.

"…NAI!" She shouted and took off in the other direction, her long black shadow disappearing in seconds.

" **ANCK-SU-NAMUN**!" Imhotep shouted, eyes full of horrified betrayal and shock. Tensed and unmoving he stared after her. After a moment, as if something inside him had suddenly died his muscles relaxed, dark eyes once so full of light were now rimmed with water as he stared at the empty space she had retreated into, "Anck-su-Namun…"

Evie pulled Rick out of the chasm and holding one another they backed into a column, seeking a temporary shelter from the hail of ceiling.

Imhotep's wet eyes slowly turned to face them. He stared at them blankly for a moment before a small, ironic smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. He looked back over at where Anck-su-Namun had been and shifted his position.

Kat's eyes widened and she dove out into the open.

Eyes rolling back, Imhotep lifted his hands from off the fissure ledge and fell backwards-Kat's hand grabbing his arm just as he fell.

"Arh!" The weight of Imhotep jerked Kat forward over the fissure. With wide eyes she could see now what had been making it so difficult to climb out. Hundreds of thousands of burnt bodies lined the edges of the fissure, clawing out and moaning. Several arms were tugging Imhotep's body downwards where a distant, magma-like glow emitted miles below at the bottom of the fissure.

Teeth clenched as her arm threatened to pop out of its socket she looked over to Imhotep's face. Blank eyes stared at her for a brief second before his dark brow twitched. His eyes widened wet, bright and black.

"I won't let you die! You're too important to me!" Kat shouted in Hebrew as debris crashed to the floor around her, shoulder straining against the weight as she started to slip further out over the edge.

"She's slipping!" Evie shouted.

"Kat!" Rick shouted.

Two pairs of hands came down and were pulling at Kat's legs, keeping her from falling in.

Kat reached out with her other arm, fingers open, "I've waited so long for you, let me help you! Hold on to me!"

Imhotep stared at her for a moment, eyes focusing with a new clarity on her face.

"Argh!" Kat closed her eyes, her shoulder started to pop as her ribs dug further into the ledge.

And then Imhotep's large hand closed around Kat's arm, tightening. His other hand gripped Kat's open fingers, lacing his fingers with hers.

Rick and Evie tugged against Kat's legs, pulling her back from over the ledge.

The crashing around them intensified as bursts of hot air sped into the room, whipping bits of sediment from the crumbling ceiling into their eyes and lungs. Coughing and heaving Imhotep over the edge of the trench Kat finally managed, with Evie and Rick, to pull him to safety. Their hands still connected.

"Rick! Evelyn! This place is coming down! Get out of there!" Jon shouted over the thunderous noise.

"We need to move, now!" Rick shouted.

Kat knelt on the floor, facing Imhotep, who sat beside her, time slowing down. They held hands as she stared at him and him at her, flickering between both eyes his stare bored deeply into both of hers. This was a different stare, a stare that neither Kat nor Katriel had ever seen from him. Kat groggily heard the distant thunder of the pyramid collapsing around them, but all she could think of was the new expression in those eyes…on that face….

Kat blinked, the motion seeming unnaturally slow, as she realized the difference, _He's looking at me like a person…not just his slave._

She felt her hands slip out of his as her body was moving away, a deep, slow voice speaking somewhere in the background, " **Leeeeeeeeet's…Gooooooooo**!"

She watched as she was taken backward, Imhotep still on the floor, his eyes never leaving hers. Then a piece of falling debris hit her cheek, snapping her back to normal time with the pain. The rumbling was immediately clear and distinct, time caught up in an instant and everything was moving too fast. Rick had her slung over one shoulder, as he and Evie raced across the room towards Jonathon and Alex. Rick hoisted Kat off his shoulder as they got to the doorway.

"This thing is coming down! We've got to go!" Rick shouted pointing through the doorway. The O'Connell's started to run out the door and Kat turned around, looking back into the room. Before she could see anything a large pillar came crashing down and a meter from her head and blocked everything from sight.

"Kat! Are you with us? Come on!" Rick shouted, Kat looked back slowly and noticed she was the last one. She stared blankly at Rick, his open palm extended through the doorframe. Her eyes flickered to a black tattoo on his arm, it reminded her of that black haired man she had seen a week earlier. Alex's face was in the door frame then, his brown eyes looking up at her.

She blinked. She was holding up the O'Connell's. Alex could get hurt if he stayed around here much longer. Kat looked back once into the room, no longer able to see anything. Then she hurried through the doorframe with Rick and Alex.

They ran through the halls, a strong wind whipped through and slowed their steps. As they came to what should have been the exit, they were met with a slew of plant matter spewing through the doorway like a rushing river.

"Whoa!" Rick shouted, a creepy little pygmy thing shrieking as it got whipped with the green tide, right by Rick's face. Kat didn't get a good look, but it appeared to resemble a mummified baby…only nightmarishly more twisted and scary.

Rick looked around, their only exit blocked. His eyes caught sight of a staircase, "Up! Go up!"

Evie, Jonathon, Rick, Alex and Kat ran up the steps, every window and opening of the pyramid had green matter spewing in, the wind carrying it stronger than any tornado could possibly be. Finally the stairway ended after climbing story upon story. Out of breath the O'Connells and Kat came out on top of the Pyramid.

Kat stared with disbelief as the oasis of Ahm Shere was being _sucked_ back into the pyramid. Miles and miles of jungle looked suddenly like it was water being let out by the tub drain.

"Keep climbing!" Rick shouted. Together they climbed up the face of the pyramid, Evie and Kat taking turns to lift Alex up onto the high blocks as they ascended to the top. A few minutes of climbing and they ran out of pyramid to climb, facing only a giant metal scorpion at the top limestone block.

"Rick!" Evie cried out, holding Alex close as the whipping jungle rose slowly up the pyramid, threatening to suck them in, "We're trapped!"

Kat looked around desperately, there was nowhere left to go as the jungle swirled around them violently. Rick held Evie and Alex close to him as Jonathon stood near Kat. Kat looked at the huddled family so close to her now, her eyes widening suddenly. Jonathon looked very much like…Pharaoh's young son, the one who was born to his third favorite wife and was carted away for his disreputable behaviors. No one in the palace was allowed to speak of it. And Evie…Kat looked at the frightened face of Evie as she held her family close to her, "…Princess…Nefertiri?"

Evie's eyes flicked over to Kat, hearing her over the whipping of the wind and cracking of the trees as they turned to splinters against the rumbling pyramid's stone surface.

"Look!" Alex shouted, pointing upwards. Everyone turned, to the side of them a giant brown balloon hovered.

"Izzie!" Rick shouted.

Kat stared wide-eyed at the large balloon, coming down closer to them. Rick quickly lifted Alex as the boat the balloon carried floated within reach, netting hanging over the side. Alex grabbed hold of the netting. Rick quickly boosted Evie up next as Kat felt the first leaves whip against her boots.

"Come on!" Rick said, Kat hurried forward and Rick hoisted her up enough for her to grab the net and climb in. Kat's feet hit solid wood, the giant balloon above them radiating heat and looking like the oddest roof over the boat. Jonathon and Rick grabbed hold of the netting as Izzie, the sweaty, dark-skinned pilot wearing an aviators' hood began to lift them away from the pyramid.

"Jonathon!" Evie yelled.

"Ah! **Pull me up! Pull me up**! Wait… **Lower me down! Lower me down**!" Jonathon cried out.

"It's not worth your life you idiot!" Rick shouted.

Kat looked over the wooden railing, to see Jonathon hanging precariously by his legs in the net, stretching his arms out for the single largest jewel ever seen, being held up by the metal scorpion figure, "Yes it is! Yes it is! Argh!"

Jonathon's hands snatched the jewel up seconds before the scorpion disappeared, "Ha! Ah! Pull me up! Pull me up!"

They grabbed hold of Jonathon's trousers and hoisted him back over into the boat. In the next moment the pyramid was all but gone and a sudden shot of sand billowed high into the sky where it had once stood, the balloon taking them just inches from the blast. Kat stood still, looking over the ledge of the boat as the oasis of Ahm Shere disappeared into nothing but desert. Her eyes stared unseeingly, nothing could have survived that.

"Whew!" Izzie cried, "O'Connell, you almost got me killed!"

"At least you didn't get shot." Rick replied.

Evie hurried over to Izzie, kissing him repeatedly on the forehead, "Thank you! Thank you!"

"O'Connell, who've you been messing with this time?" Izzie asked, not exactly pulling off the annoyed look he wanted to from Evie's kisses.

"You know, the usual…pygmies, mummies…big bugs." Rick stated.

Evie went up to Rick and they began to talk, as Jonathon and Izzie began some argument over the jewel. Alex came over to Kat, looking up at her as she gripped the railing, "…Why did you do that?"

Kat looked down at Alex, snapping her view away from a black rider waving at them from the sand dune. From the distance it was hard to tell exactly, but it looked like Ardeth Bay. Rick waved from the front of the craft at him.

"Do what?"

Alex gestured off into the desert, "You know, save him? Why did you?"

Kat looked back off into the desert, watching Ardeth ride away on his horse, "…He's dead now, Alex. So it doesn't matter."

"What…what happened to you in the jungle?" Alex asked. Kat glanced down to see he was looking at her blood-stained shirt.

"Anck-su-Namun stabbed me." Kat replied.

"Do you…need a doctor?" Alex asked, hesitantly, watching her carefully.

"No. I'm all better now." Kat said, smiling down at him.

Alex nodded, easily accepting that, "She got mom too, me and uncle Jon brought her back with the Book of the Dead. How…how did you…?"

"Come back?" Kat finished. She looked out at the horizon, "…A long time ago I gave myself away. When I died, that part had room to come back."

"I don't understand." Alex said puzzled.

Evie was suddenly beside them, "It feels like two lives living in one body, separate memories, but one person."

Kat spun around, seeing Evie up close, she felt her head duck quickly. How had she never noticed how similar to Nefertiri Evelyn had looked?

Alex looked between Kat and his mom, "Why are you bowing?"

Kat looked up cautiously, "Because Alex, your mother is…was…a future Ruler of Egypt last I saw her."

"Reincarnated Princess." Rick appeared, wrapping an arm around Evie's waist, "That wasn't exactly hard to guess was it?"

Evie smirked, turning to face him, "Because of my charm, wit and beauty?"

"Because you can be such a royal pain." Rick countered. "I thought I almost lost you there."

"For a moment there you did. Would you like to know what Heaven looks like?" Evie asked.

"Later." Rick said leaning in. Alex and Kat averted their eyes as the couple began to kiss. "Argh, get a room" Alex muttered, walking to a different part of the craft.

Kat smiled and looked back out into the desert, smile fading as she stared at the passing sand dunes. After all that time…she still hadn't been able to save him...to save Imhotep. Kat felt her grip loosen on the railing, her shoulders slumping. What good had she managed to do?

After a few moments Rick walked over to break up fight escalating between Izzie and Jonathon over the jewel, "Would you two cut it out!"

Evie set her hands on the railing beside Kat, "…I remember you, from Thebes." Kat glanced up at Evie, who was looking out at the horizon now.

Evie continued, "I'm sorry I can't remember more. But if it helps, when you died, news had reached the palace of the High Priest's strange behavior. There were even some guards sent to break up a small band of Hebrews trying to claim your body for burial, but he wouldn't give you up. He even tried to get permission to read the sacred books and my father refused him. We thought he…killed you, and was trying to bring you back to cover it up, as you were a palace slave there were small infractions he could have been charged with."

"Oh." Kat replied, feeling her heart sinking in her chest as Evie spoke. Imhotep had risked the disapproval of the palace…for a slave? Anck-su-Namun hadn't quite said as much as that.

"But seeing what you did down there for him…we were wrong weren't we? You two…cared about each other?" Evie looked down at Kat, an eyebrow slightly raised.

"…It went only one way." Kat said, looking up at Evie. "He didn't care about me like that. I was just…valuable property to him…probably just made interesting by my spirit departing. He was the high priest of death after all, he would find that intriguing."

"…Your feelings for him though…still exist?" Evie pressed quietly.

Kat looked up at her, a small smile on her lips that did not reach her eyes as she said, "It doesn't matter now."

She felt the glass jar in her pocket and reached her hand down to hold on to it tightly, in her mind she could see the last image she had caught of Imhotep. He was watching her on the floor as the pyramid tumbled down around them. His eyes on hers, recognizing in her something that he hadn't recognized before. Something he could now never recognize again.

Kat looked out at the horizon feeling like it was further away than any she had ever seen before, clutching the jar with white knuckles in her pocket, "He isn't coming back."

* * *

 _Writer's Note: Wow, thanks for all the reviews and feedback! I hope this chapter's length makes up for the slower update than my last few had been. School has started and has started with the throwing down of the gauntlet. To defend my honor-and my grades-I don't know how often I'll be able to update now but I've got a really neat idea for the rest of this story, so I'm excited to write more! See you in the next chapter. ~PineFlowerSap_

…


	12. Part 2, Kristallnacht

**_PART TWO_**

 _Someone-Israeli Song:_

 _"Someone, someone worries_

 _Worries for me up there_

 _Came and lit a few stars_

 _And they fall one by one._

 _We are turning in two different ways_

 _Day and night to their length_

 _Tired and hungry_

 _In the paths of dust and time._

 _We'll meet at the end of paths and questions_

 _We will meet at the end of many days,_

 _at the end of many nights_

 _The spring passed, the summer went, and the rain returned._

 _Someone, someone worries_

 _Worries for me up there_

 _Came and lit a few stars_

 _And they fall one by one."_ -Ehud Manor

* * *

 **...**

 **Five Years Later, Italy**

 **November 9th, 1938.**

 **...**

"… _the Führer has decided that … demonstrations should not be prepared or organized by the Party, but insofar as they erupt spontaneously, they are not to be hampered."_

The static voice of Joseph Goebbels spoke in German over the living room radio. In the kitchen Kat's hands froze in the hot, soapy water, the plate she was washing grasped between whitening fingers.

Kat looked over into the living room, eyes wide.

" _Ernst vom Rath will be forever remembered a martyr by the Party and as we conclude tonight's broadcast we ask all loyal to the cause to sing with us the German National Anthem…"_

Kat ran to the living room and hit the radio's power, cutting off the rolling symphony's starting notes to the anthem, leaving soapy bubble residue sliding off the power button. Kat stared at the radio as silence filled the room.

Now she was not sure if she was glad of having learned German and honing in on the German Party's main radio frequency or not. Kat bit her bottom lip. This was the equivalent of the Old Testament where Esther had to intercede for the Jews, but now there was no Esther. Kat turned and looked out the darkening window where the sun was setting across the Italian countryside.

If ever there was a moment for war between the escalating crisis of the Jews and the Germans, this was it.

Kat dried the soapy water from her red fingers and ran out to her porch. She shared a phone with her neighbor, but being this late at night she doubted they would be using it. She quickly contacted the operator and in very basic Italian asked for the number she needed. Taking a calming breath she waited as the phone rang. **Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring...** "Hello?"

"It's Katri-It's Katherine, are you alright?"

"Katherine? We're fine. What are you doing calling at this hour?" The voice of her father asked, confusion tangible through the dusty phone piece.

"I just heard on the radio, you know the Jews who weren't let back into Poland? One of them shot the German Embassy Official. He just died, the Germans are allowing retaliation against all the Jews without consequences." Kat rushed through hurriedly, breathless.

"Honey, honey, slow down." Her father said, "Don't worry about that. Things are getting a little tougher out here but our neighbors are our neighbors, they wouldn't do anything truly dangerous. Maybe graffiti a little more than they have been, but that's all. Don't worry about us."

Kat's teeth clenched, her father's tone was passive, calm and easy, "Dad…come and visit me. You and mom. Come to Ciregna."

"Honey, we're not going right back to-"

"-Then come to London, the O'Connell's are a great family and they've invited me over for Christmas. You'll love it there I promise. Come and meet them, they can autograph your book." Kat countered, recalling the book Evie had published about the O'Connell's adventures. Her mother had bought a copy right away and Kat had promptly received a phone call afterwards….

"We can't leave Germany now, too many of us have left, we need to stand our ground here. We'll come see you when this has blown over, my treasure." He said.

"But-"

"No, we've been over this. We're going to stay, your uncle asked us to help him with his bookstore and we aren't going to abandon him now. Things aren't really as bad as you think here, so do not worry about us."

"Dad…be careful." Kat deflated, not knowing what else she could say.

"We are. Now we'll talk later, all right?"

"Alright. Tell mom…tell mom that I send my love." Kat said.

"I will. Ciao, my treasure."

"Ciao."

Kat looked out over the quiet Italian town that her parents had moved to only a few years ago. Her parents did that: settled down in some town and then packed up and did it all over again every couple of years. Staying with the O'Connells had been the most stable part of her formative years.

After Kat left the O'Connells after the events in Egypt her parents had just moved to this town. Their trip to Rome had been so memorable that it was inevitable her parents' next home would be in Italy. She had been here by herself now for two years after she refused to move with them to help her uncle in Berlin. Work for the Jews had been getting increasingly difficult and she had quite a few cousins who could benefit from her parents helping her uncle earn extra income. Despite Kat's solution that they should all move out of Germany for good, more of her family moved in to the very heart of that country. And now….

She could feel a calamity of biblical proportions was about to happen, regardless of her father's reassurance that things weren't 'really as bad' as she thought.

Kat rubbed her temples, leaning against the shaded brick façade of the house. He was right, things were probably worse. She hadn't learnt German and been listening to their broadcasts the last five years because she thought she didn't have to worry.

She looked off at the fading sun, hugging her arms as a chill swept across the dark green Italian countryside. If her parents weren't going to come back here of their own will…maybe she'd just have to go and get them herself. She'd drag them over the border if they weren't going to get talked into it.

Kat went back inside the house and quickly finished washing the dishes. Once done, she went into her room, closed the door, and began to pack her scanty assortment of clothes into a single suitcase.

…

 **The Next Day, Germany's Border:**

"Judin?" The uniformed officer looked up from Kat's travel papers, his blue-eyes turning hard and cold.

Kat returned the gaze, speaking in clear German, "Yes. I'm here to help my family emigrate out of Germany. They're waiting for me in Berlin."

Kat had listened to the radio all the way from Italy in her car, driving to the border as she listened to the account of the riots that had happened starting the night of Goebbel's speech. In the time the drive had taken, the riots had only just stopped being reported, and now the night was being called 'Kristallnacht', meaning 'Crystal night' on account of all the broken glass lining streets from Jewish shop windows. Kat's foot hadn't left the accelerator the entire time she listened to the reports headed by clear propagandists, despite the tightly winding roads in Austria whipping by too fast for safety.

She only hoped it wasn't as bad as they were making it out to be.

Kat now looked at the border guard, on the sleeve of his tan uniform was a red band with the black Nazi spider crouching in a white circle, "Emigrating is agreeable to the Nazi Party, isn't it?"

She had been listening to the broadcasts and since October emigration had been pushed heavily. Had that really only been a month ago?

"Why are they not waiting at the border for you, Jewess?" He asked, tone clipped.

"They need the car to move out of the house, their German landlords don't want their belongings getting in the way of the new German tenants, naturally." Kat responded easily. Lying wasn't hard when it concerned the safety of her family, who still didn't know she was coming.

"Where are you headed, once you pick up your family?" The man asked, looking down his nose at her.

"Palestine, that is where the rest of my family will be meeting." Kat responded easily.

"…Three days, Jewess, to get your family and leave." The German guard said, stamping her papers and handing them back to her through the car window.

Kat nodded and slowly accelerated as she was waved through the road block. Her tires rolled over the gravelly grey road, into Germany.

…

After several roadblocks and skeptical perusals of her papers by German officials she was relieved to see that only in some of the more populated towns she passed were some shopkeepers boarding up broken shop windows. Some blonde Germans were even helping an elderly Jewish man board up his window as he swept up shards from the cobblestone. In the long hours it took her to reach Berlin, she could count the shops clearly affected by Kristallnacht between both hands. She hoped those statistics stayed true in the bigger cities, and propaganda had made the night sound worse than it had been.

Driving into Berlin she had to show her papers again and noticed through the car windows that a few clearly Jewish families dressed in coats with suitcases were in the traffic flowing opposite her. Though it still wasn't as many as she had been expecting.

Kat waited until the officers, satisfied with her papers, let her into the city. Kat's car rolled smoothly over the even streets of Berlin. There were many people lining the streets, most looked very German, but Kat caught sight of the thin men in long coats lingering by several shops- without windows. She passed a charred building, still smoldering as orange flames spurted through the black cracks, as firefighters lounged beside their truck. Traffic stopped her and she watched as after a minute one of the firefighters grabbed a hose and sprayed down the surface of the neighboring building, but not the still burning one. A small crowd, contributing to the traffic, lingered outside the building that the firefighters refused to douse. Kat noticed that many of the onlookers were thin men with long noses.

Kat continued to drive until she reached the downtown stretch of the city, pulling over in front of the boarded up shop front for her uncle's bookstore. She killed the rumbling engine and looked at the bookstore. The main front window had been blown out and the Star of David was messily painted over the door of the shop.

Kat strummed her fingers across the steering wheel, tongue pressed against her cheek. Was this still 'not that bad' to her father?

She opened the door and stepped out, walking briskly across the sidewalk and pulling the door of the shop open.

 _Dingle-ding._

A bell tinkled above her head.

"Uncle Yehosef? Father? Mother?" Kat called out, looking around the shop that seemed untouched from the inside beyond the boarded window.

"…Katherine?" The thin, glasses-framed face of uncle Yehosef turned the corner.

Kat approached him, "Are you all alright?"

"Yes. Yes. We're fine. What are you doing here?" He asked, looking her over, puzzled.

"I'm taking you all back with me. Where are mom and dad?" Kat asked looking around.

"They went to their jobs, Katherine, we're all really fine. We got a little shaken but our neighbors helped us drive out the rioters. We've never seen the young men who did this since before last night, but they were very clearly radicals." He said easily, smiling.

Kat stared at him. She blinked once. Twice.

Did she have to spell it out for these people? Kat cleared her throat, standing up straighter, "Get you and your children's things together. We're leaving. I have a three day visa to get you all out of here. Where did you put my parent's rooms? I'll pack for them."

"Katherine-"

Kat didn't stay to listen, she hurried up the stairs to the flat above the store, looking around. Her cousins would be in school, so there was no one up there. She quickly opened the drawers in the rooms until she came across her mother's green dress. She hoisted a suitcase from the closet, dumped it on the bed and began to stuff it with her parent's items.

"They aren't going to leave." Uncle Yehosef said in the doorway of the room.

Kat shot him a look, "…the kids' rooms are the next room over, right? If you won't pack them then I will."

"You're exaggerating the situation." Yehosef said calmly, but did not protest as Kat shoved past him and searched for a moment before pulling another suitcase out from under a bed and started to stuff children's clothes inside of it.

Yehosef sighed and left Kat alone. Kat made sure she had all of the essential things jammed into the suitcase before closing it up. She then brought the suitcases to the stairs. She sat down on the top step and waited for her parents to come back.

…

 _Following her parent's return there began a long three-day argument. Despite Kat's best efforts she could not convince the family to move back with her to Italy, or to Palestine or to London. During this time the Reich was instituting measures against the Jews, barring them from public places, enforcing the public not to enter Jewish stores and beginning a fine for Jews due to damages done during Kristallnacht. To try and get help moving her stubborn family, Kat decides to journey back to London and get the support of the O'Connells._

 _..._

 ** _Meanwhile, in another section of Germany at approximately the same time…_**

…

Two men dressed in military clothing sat in a dark wood parlor, a large window pane did little to light the surroundings as dark grey clouds covered the sky. A soft patter of rain hitting the glass, freezing in icy streaks down the windows, filled the quiet.

The German Captain glanced over the papers on his desk, "Everything seems to be in order."

He looked up, some skepticism on his face, as he surveyed the man before him, "Though of course you understand the unusual circumstances. The Fuhrer is not one to appreciate failure. He is beginning the stages of setting things in motion for Poland. He does not have time nor patience for mere…tricks."

"I can assure you, there are no 'tricks' involved. The offer of my service stands, provided I am given the position I desire." The man said in German, straightening the cuff link on his grey sleeve. He wore a new officer's uniform, the grey contrasting smartly with his tan skin. Though he preferred black.

"I should warn you," The Captain set the papers aside, intertwining his fingers as he leaned forward onto the desk, "you are not the first of your kind the Fuhrer has hired. If you succeed the riches will be great, if not, the penalties will be greater."

The man smirked, getting up from his chair, he looked down at the Captain with dark, shiny eyes, "Are we done here?"

The Captain slid a piece of paper across the desk, "Your first assignment, report to Hermann Goring directly when finished."

The man took the paper and glanced over it, eyebrow raising, "The 'Four-Year Plan'? I am to be part of 'Reichswerke'… but this is just building factories?"

The Captain nodded, smirking quietly, "Do you know why the Fuhrer hired Hermann Goring, a military hero with no knowledge of economics and no brains, due to a morphine addiction, to effectively carry out the rebuilding of Germany as a self-sufficient leader in Industry and maintain his position as second in Command of the Reich...? Neither do I. But it would seem a good opportunity for one to begin a position to work their way up in while communing directly with the Fuhrer about private influential matters of the metaphysical. Don't you think?"

The other man kept a steady, dark-eyed gaze on the Captain, a smile slowly forming over his lips. A high position as leader of the Economic Infrastructure of Germany while maintaining close contact with the Fuhrer in the position of Metaphysical Advisor…provided he first prove himself under Hermann Goring before taking the position away from Goring?

This was the position he desired: Second in Command of the Reich, not just a Metaphysical Advisor. All he'd have to do was rise in position while maintaining sound advice to the Fuhrer about the supernatural realm. And as the Fuhrer took control of the world, so would he. It was not so very different than his last position under the Egyptian Pharaoh Seti.

"Mr. Imhotep." The captain smiled with taught lips, "Good luck in your new assignment."

Imhotep smiled, eyes glistening as he shook the now extended hand, "Captain."

Then both men extended their arms, "Heil Hitler!"

...

* * *

 _Writer's Note: W_ _here the first part of this story incorporated many sunny, sandy Egyptian elements true to the events taking place in the movies, the second part of this story is going to take a darker, wetter, WWII theme. I would encourage my readers to stop reading at this point if they simply want to have Imhotep die in Egypt, remaining more true to his character from the movies. If, however, you want Imhotep to live and continue life in the 1930's of Europe on the Cusp of WWII with new rising powers in the world, we will have to walk down this dark path together and explore just what lies in store for Kat and Imhotep. For death was always, only the beginning._


	13. Part 2, Christmas

**December at the O'Connell's**

Kat twirled the remaining contents of her mug around absently, partially melted marshmallows bumping against the porcelain as she stared out the window, her breath leaving a stream of fog on the cold panes. The O'Connell's estate was covered in grey, wet tangles of branches and dead grass that would be beautifully filled with green blades and flowering buds come spring. Everything now was dead. Kat didn't know if that comforted her to see, but the cold glass window against her forehead helped stave off the tiredness and so she stayed and gazed off distantly into the bleak, chilled landscape.

 _Thump. Thud. Crack._

Kat turned from the window to see Jonathon stumble into the library, fluttering pages of a book twirled on the ground as he looked surprised at the pile of spilt literary works, a glass of festive egg nog in hand, "Oops. Made a mess…not as big ash Evie's though, didchoo know she used to be a librrrarian? Chee knocked the whole place over in one day. I've never… been prouder."

Kat blinked, this man had been a royal prince in ancient times, but even then he had lived about the same way as now: excessive, loud, drunk and exiled under the favorable patronage of his sister. Kat gave a small smile before turning back to the window, eyes tracing the frosted branches of a bare tree.

"Ah, cheer up. Rick and Evie will have a plan to -urp- get chour family outve Germany. In the meanchime, it's the holidays. Let's have something lively." Jonathon stumbled over to the gramophone and sloshed his drink on the table as he cranked it up. Tucking his chin in and eyeing the needle intently he gently placed it on the spinning disc, immediately the it started to sing in the metallic voice of Ray Noble and His Orchestra:

 **"Midnight with the stars and you**

 **Midnight and a rendez-vous**

 **Your eyes held a message tender**

 **Saying, "I surrender all my love to you"**

Kat turned sharply to stare at the gramophone.

 **Midnight brought us sweet romance**

 **I know all my whole life through**

 **I'll be remembering you**

 **Whatever else I do**

 **Midnight with the stars and you"**

The rims of her eyes reddening, Kat looked away. She couldn't do this.

Jonathon frowned and moved the needle up, "That'z not a Christmas shong. I know they've got some here. 'Old on." He bent down and started opening the doors of the stand where the records were kept. "Ophfg!" Jonathon's head thumped against the top of the stand.

Kat set her mug on the window ledge, about to leave when a car horn honked. She peered out the window, seeing the car pull into the long driveway.

Kat stared before slowly a smile crept onto her face for the first time in a long time, "They're back."

"Huh?" Jonathon looked up, rubbing the top of his head, "Who?"

"Alex and Rick."

Today was a special start to the Holiday season, Rick had brought Alex back from boarding school to spend a proper Christmas at home. Kat was no longer the nanny, but she still had strong connections to this family from both ancient and current times and couldn't help but feel her spirits rise as she watched through the window as the car pulled to a stop, the doors opened and the light blonde head of hair she knew so well came bobbing just around the side of the shiny car.

Rick had gotten himself a newer model car after the old one was destroyed. He now took almost every opportunity he could to remind everyone that if they so much as breathed on this new one wrong, he would personally mummify them.

Kat smiled still as she stepped off the ledge and headed for the front door.

In the front hall, Evie was already hugging Alex and kissing his grimacing head, "Merry Christmas, Alex!"

"Mom!" Alex pulled away, his gangly arms crossed sulkily over his chest.

Kat waited in the background as she watched the family reunite, O'Connell thumping Alex's bags down next to the open door that blew in December-chilled English air, "Hun, I know how we feel about trains, but next time I go to pick him up it's either that or he's walking back. Grimy little fingerprints all over the Cadillac's paint thanks to his little school friends."

Kat laughed. Alex's head snapped up, looking at the noise, "Kat!"

"Merry Christmas." Kat said, waving.

"When did you get here?" Alex asked as Evie ruffled his hair before going over to give Rick a welcome-back-kiss.

"A few days before you." Kat pointed up to the intricate decorations of lights, snow globes, ribbons, figurines and pine wreath strings twisted around the banisters, rafters and just about every surface, "I came to help decorate."

"Are you staying?" Alex asked, his expression looking hopeful.

"Yes, I'm spending Holiday with you. My, you certainly have grown since the last time I saw you, haven't you?"

Alex frowned, looking sullen, "'Course I've grown since last you saw me, you've been gone forever."

"Alex, come bring your things to your room!" Evie called out.

"What room? I don't live actually live here anymore, remember? You sent me away."

" _Alex_." Rick warned.

"I'll help you." Kat volunteered.

"I don't need help, I can do it myself." Alex retorted, the cause for his attitude-shift no surprise for Kat. She had spent more time away from the O'Connells than she thought she would, of course it would have hit Alex hard. She felt guilty frequently but after that day it had just been too painful to look at any of them without thinking of _him_ …. So she had to resign as nanny and move far away, where sand dunes and pyramids would be removed from her in the Italian countryside. Rick and Evie understood. She was only returning to the people that meant so much to her now (which also meant inviting painful memories) when her family needed serious intervention as Germany grew noisier every day.

Kat watched him march up the steps, lugging a suitcase. Rick and Evie appeared beside Kat, Rick's arm around Evie's waist, "Don't take it too hard, he's a stubborn kid you know. But he's glad you're back."

Jonathon suddenly came stumbling into the room from the hall door, the blaring sound of festive Christmas music echoing from behind him, "Hey, I found one! Who wants tuh dance?"

…

 _Christmas Holiday at the O'Connell's was a warm affair filled with smells of cooking turkey, wine, cranberries, fresh pine, cinnamon, gingerbread cookies, mince pies, potatoes, stuffing, pudding with sugared violets, gravy, trifle, spiced cider and eggnog. The red decorations draped the interwoven pine strings and candles lit both Rick's outdoor Manger scene and Kat's Menorah. Jonathon took his role of reading Christmas Lore and History out-loud rather seriously each night around the crackling fire with his glass of eggnog always on the nearest side table._

 _Carolers would sing outside the door every now and again as Kat handed out pudding to them while Jonathon and Alex would spring out of their seats at the first note of "There is No Rose" to sneak up to the chilled balcony to try and throw raisins into the more robust singers' mouths._

 _Alex and Kat mended hurt broken by time over many games of checkers and crackers and were soon again close friends. Rick and Evie had helped construct elaborate snowmen in the two feet of snow that blanketed the grounds in only a few days._

 _At night time after a full, delicious meal of hot foods and spiced drinks they digested as they listened to Jonathon retelling old tales around the fireplace before they'd bundle up and gather on the balcony with hot chocolate and coffee as they gazed up at the pristinely clear, starry sky as the snow glowed down below from the warm light of the manor's tall windows._

 _Afterwards they'd all retire to their rooms, but only for a short time…._

Once Alex had had enough time to fall asleep (having opened the Hanukkah gift Kat discreetly slipped him after their balcony gazing-and would continue slipping him for a total of eight nights), the adults would gather in the library to discuss possible ways to get Kat's family out of Germany. It had been agreed that Kat's family would come live in England and Rick and Evie had only to hint to the museum or college of their choice and everyone in Kat's family would be in a self-supporting occupation. Jonathon was more of the mind of taking some with him to China, where he was trying to set up one of several businesses.

Of course, getting them here was the most difficult part due to their unwillingness to leave, though Rick, Evie and Jonathon had all agreed with Kat that it would be best for them to get out of Germany. The tricky part was figuring out when too much would finally be too much for them and just how bad things were going to get for the Jews before her family would finally be ready to leave. Once that happened, if it happened, Rick said that things would probably have to move fast. If Kat's family waited last second to get out of Germany, and things got any worse, their window of time to get them out of there was considerably shortened.

At the first of these nightly meetings Kat felt guilty for pulling the family out of their holiday revelry, but as the meetings continued Kat realized that despite the serious intensity of their planning, the O'Connells seemed almost happy. Deep down Evie lived for daring rescues with impossible scenarios and Rick was always up for the chance to pull a weapon on a supreme evil. If a mummy happened to show up in the midst of all their planning, Kat was fairly certain they might start breaking into carols themselves for sheer joy of it all. Jonathon was usually so boozed up at this point that he was _already_ singing.

The nights almost always ended on a hopeful note and then they really did all go off to their separate rooms to sleep.

...

Most nights Kat slept dreaming about her family all together in England under the O'Connell's 20 foot Christmas tree, but those weren't the only dreams she had. Past memories kept resurfacing, altered by modern life in the blackness of her bedroom while she slept.

Hebrew slaves she had befriended thousands of years ago rushed into her dreams to tell her the Nazis were on the phone asking questions about her parents. These dreams dissolved into her being thrown into an Egyptian cell with her parents, who promptly turned into scarab beetles and flew out the upper window leaving her behind in the darkness as Anck-su-Namun's eyes glared at her through the door slit. In a flash of black curtains her body was suddenly on an embalming table, dressed in her ancient Hebrew slave clothes as Anubis priests surrounded her. The black curtains rustled in the embalming room but she could not turn her head to see the man on the balcony who she knew was there. The man she wanted to see more than any in her dreams. Her stiff neck could not turn on the embalming table and she was frozen in a dead body, unable to move but yet able to see and hear. As she struggled and struggled to turn, she'd find herself suddenly in her bed awake by her efforts. The dark shadows of her room replaced the flickering lights on the embalming chamber her dream had taken her to and the disappointment of not seeing that face was almost greater than she could bear.

Kat's fingers would then reach up under her pillow and clasp around the small green jar hidden beneath. The jar Imhotep had given her under the blistering sun in a time slipping further and further away from her.

And then the flood of thoughts would come back to her as silent tears soaked into her pillow: _had he not taken her hand? Had he not let her rescue him from the chasm? Had he not given her that last look that spoke of a realization of all she had ever done for him? A knowing look, a look of regarding her then as an equal? A look that could have developed into…that could have lead to them…but no, it was too painful to think of._

Kat gripped the green glass jar until the tears stopped and she drifted back to sleep until the smell of sausages, eggs and burnt oatmeal would single another day had come. Thus passed her holidays with the O'Connells.

…

 **Imhotep's Chamber, Germany:**

The room was lit by candles and a crackling fire place, casting dim light over the dark upholstered furnishings. Several candles lit the desk where Imhotep sat, reading through volumes of black books and photographs of ancient markings in tombs and scrolls that few could read, but had the foresight enough to salvage through photography what could not be brought to his room.

Imhotep wore a black uniform, boots and trench coat. He favored his black robes but naturally in the cooler climate they were too light for comfort, so the suits were a fine substitute. He saved his uniformed cap for when he went out in the daylight, which he did not prefer.

He did his best work in the dark, and did not particularly like mingling with the fervor of the Nazi Party, though it was secretly amusing. The clawing and backstabbing to climb higher in the German pecking order was nothing new in human history, particularly when a great power came into being. The differences between time and cultures were many, but not so very much the nature of humans.

Imhotep glanced up curiously from his desk as a car drove by with its lights on, lighting up the room with artificial light as the engine's purr faded down the street.

Times certainly had changed.

Getting up from his desk he strode to the window, black heels clicking against the floorboards. He pulled back the curtain with a black gloved finger and looked out the glass at the early morning, still too dark to see the German city around him. He had been here only a short while, though his strategic positioning to rise higher in the Nazi party could not be better.

He had worked a lifetime in Egypt to rise to a position like this, and here in this day and age he obtained such a place in only a few short years.

Imhotep smirked, while adjusting to this new life presented its challenges, the hardest part hadn't even been leaving Ahm Shere after the oasis had sunken into the dunes, as one might think. Imhotep watched as the flicker of lights from another car flashed across the room, remembering the moment his life had been spared.

 _(Flashback, The Pyramid of Ahm Shere)_

 _Crumbling stone filled the room, pillars tumbled down with sections of ceiling as the pyramid shuddered in violent spasms. Debris and dust filled the room as Imhotep knelt on the cold stone, the cries of the damned echoing in the chasm behind him. The chasm was called the 'Mouth of Ammut' and to those who fell in there was never a return. And yet…_

 _His eyes fixated on the doorway, where a pillar had fallen after the retreating figures of his slave and the O'Connells. His slave had risked her life to pull him out of the Mouth of Ammut. It had been a very un-slave-like thing to do. In this age with his death she would have been free from servitude, having no family, priests or palace life to give her over to as would have been the custom. Perhaps only his own priests would have done the same._

 _He had overlooked the slave Katriel. She had eluded him in death, saving him in life…and deluded him throughout. She was not a common slave, not with the faithfulness she had proven to him now after all had abandoned him, even Anck-su-Namun._

 _Anck-su-Namun! His love, his life! His eyes still wet as the twisted pain at once assaulted him and wrenched fresh in his chest the pain of knowing he had given all, only to be abandoned now. He had defied pharaoh, gave up his prestige, suffered the Hom Dai, died twice and would have taken over the world for a woman whose only interest had ever been for his power. She had not grown to love him, as had been his hope. Even now she ran from him, judging the risk for herself too great and Imhotep could feel his heart breaking inside his chest. His heart would not need to be weighed on the Scales of Ma'at any longer, it was too heavy in his own chest to even allow him to stand._

 _Though his heart had been wrenched it was his hands that tingled with life, having only a moment ago been pulled by them from damnation by the only one left to stand with him._

 _And then did not his slave also once try to bring this outcome to his attention? Katriel had been always faithful. Her dignity rivaled at least that of his priests, and then even more so. Slaves were but property, how had he never seen her as anything beyond that all this time?_

 _Another pillar crashed down, shaking the ground beneath him and startling his eyes away from the blocked exit._

 _Little mattered now. Soon all would be consumed by the desert. The Scorpion King and his army were dead, Anck-su-Namun had abandoned him, he had been stripped of his powers to fight the Scorpion King and now was awaiting his third death._

 _Imhotep blinked, halting a moment in his grief and inevitable doom as everything he had ever hoped had come crashing down around him with the pyramid. His powers! He had only been stripped of them to fight the Scorpion King, and while having failed, the creature was dead now was it not? There was no longer a need to keep him powerless._

 _His slave had saved him from himself, had saved him from Anck-su-Namun's betrayal, yet who would save them now? More pillars and stones fell in the violent shakes, the pyramid could not last but a mere few moments more. His slave would never be able to make it out of here, not even Anck-su-Namun could run from him fast enough to save herself._

 _If anyone had any chance of getting out of here alive, he had to regain his powers._

 _Imhotep struggled to his feet, wary of the ceiling above him. He looked around, if only he could get to a portal to speak to Anubis…but there!_

 _Behind the doors that housed the Scorpion King, upon the ground Imhotep spotted the dusted seal of Anubis. A new surge of energy pulsed through him, there was a chance!_

 _Backing up a few feet, he ran and jumped over the chasm, the pyramid rocketing beneath him as he landed on the other side. He stumbled, a falling stone grazing his arm. Steadying himself he quickly darted forward, narrowly dodging falling ceiling. Pain shot up his legs as his bare feet ran over the broken pyramid shards littering the floor, but he only ran faster. Lunging past the doors as a pillar fell, smacking the ground he had just jumped from, he landed on the hieroglyphed inscription._

 _For a moment he lay chest on the floor, feeling the quaking stone beneath him, with nothing happening. And then…._

 _The floor tilted upwards, Imhotep looked up, seeing the seal rising off the ground with him on it. In this inner room, another seal, this one with a feather upon it sank down into the pyramid as if…._

 _Imhotep's eyes widened, he was actually being weighed on the scales of Ma'at! This room had preserved the Scorpion King for Millenniums because it was not a room, it was the scale of Ma'at and Anubis had kept him balanced on it. Now…Imhotep's worth was being weighed. He placed his hands on the seal, unsteadily. The Seal rose with him on it, the scale was tipping in his favor. Then it stopped rising. Imhotep looked around. A shadow rushed towards him, the shadow of his judgement. It rushed into him, a surge of power filling him, swelling and inflating his weak mortal body to the power and strength he had held before. And then it stopped. Imhotep gasped, chest heaving with the power._

 _He looked at his hands, the fingertips tingling with the surge as the seal lowered back into the ground. The same power was in him again, and yet…it was different. It was powerful, undoubtedly, but still did not fill him as it had that morning. Regardless, it was power._

 _Imhotep looked up through the doorway watching the pyramid crumble and lifted his hands. He felt his power surge out and into the very stones, searching out and supporting the last largest columns. His eyebrows dipped slightly, and he tensed, releasing more power. The building was collapsing still, but slower now. Frowning he clenched his teeth, lifting the weight with great effort now._

 _His power was lesser than it had been, sweat trickled down his temple as his arms shook. Apparently he had not been found worthy enough to hold the power he had before, his failure to kill the Scorpion King himself was no doubt a contributor in this decision._

 _Shaking he grunted, keeping the pillars from falling and fighting off the rising sand that tried to engulf the pyramid from the outside. He could feel Ahm Shere being sucked into the earth around him, but he kept his arms up, fighting to keep it afloat even a little longer. Perhaps Katriel might be able to get away, she was with the O'Connells now and they were resourceful enough._

 _Sweat dripped down off his face, his arms glistened in the dying light of the room, the pyramid swaying around him and crumbling around despite his hold on it._

 _And then it came crashing down. Sand engulfed the room in an instant and Imhotep had to let go of his hold, shielding himself as dark sand enveloped him. He tried to transform into sand or wind but his body would not evaporate. He had been denied this power too, the power of the elements. Using his strength he crawled his way up, sand filling his lungs but not affecting him. He had at least retained his immortality. Breaking through stone, statue and jungle trees with his hands he crawled his way up, his inhuman strength driving him forward. After hours and hours of climbing his hand clawed up to find no resistance. Surging upwards he broke through the surface of a dune, black sky and stars above him as the desert wind rustled the fresh air._

 _He was free._

 _(End Flashback)_

Imhotep watched the black German night through his window. The hardest part of all this had been acclimating to not only the new weather, but the new times and the new languages. Once he had made it back to civilization and heard about the war and Germany's unrest and determination to rebuild, it was clear (with only a little magical help that he could provide) where his next position to rebuild a life lost would come from. He might not have been successful at taking over the world, but he knew how to be second in command to one who could succeed.

Hitler already had him working his supernatural powers to influence the German peoples to be more susceptible to control, and the fervor of the Nazi party had extended past its previous boundaries. This simple act of crowd control had earned him a place in the Nazi party and Hitler's esteem as his new Metaphysical Advisor. Now under Goring he could continue to become powerful, powerful enough to take out Goring and be the true second in command to the rising powers of the world. It was, after all, what he was best at.

Imhotep smirked, letting the curtain fall back over the window as he withdrew back into the room. He walked back to his desk to sit down.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Imhotep looked up curiously as his door swung open, a shriveled old woman came in carrying a breakfast tray, "Dein zeitung, Herr Imhotep."

She set the silver tray down on the table before exiting quietly. Imhotep reached over and took up the newspaper on the tray, ignoring the tea. He did not need to eat and drinking hot _leaf water_ was not a past time he enjoyed along with the rest of this new era.

He unrolled it and casually started to flip through the pages, it was interesting how people kept up with the current events now. Word of mouth and rumors had been the staple for news in the Palace, but here journalism had erupted and with it a whole flood of relevant and irrelevant information. Though the drama was still there, as clearly seen in the titles of articles. He amusedly thumbed through the pages before a photograph stopped him, beneath it read the German caption: **Expert Egyptologists Donate Personal Collection to Berlin's German Historical Museum**. Imhotep stared at a black and white picture of Rick and Evelyn O'Connell standing next to a pile of packing crates and busts of Egyptian heads.

His eyes widened as his brow lifted. _So they did survive? Very interesting…._

* * *

 _Writer's Note: Hey all! School is almost done so naturally with the stress of my FINAL set of finals looming I turn instead to kick out about seven pages of this story. School really is the best motivator... Any who, I hope you enjoyed this, I tried to make it longer for you because I know I've been neglecting this and left you on a dangling plot change. I'm not sure how often I'll be adding but this most certainly isn't done yet and I WILL be writing this to the end. Thank you for being patient! You readers are the best! I threw in some Ancient Egyptian symbolism with the Scorpion King's chamber with Ma'at's Scale and Ammut's Mouth, so if I threw you off a little by not explaining more I apologize-I was trying to write from Imhotep's POV and he would have already knew all this. Also, yes, Imhotep has his powers back but they are lesser than before, so taking over the world by himself isn't really an option anymore and he's going to have to mingle with others. But gah! I'm not going to say anymore because I'll give stuff away prematurely! See you in the next chapter :)_

 _Also, do I have any German Translators in my reader base? Please PM me if you wouldn't mind translating some things with credit given for every chapter you help with. Otherwise, I apologize for my lack of proper German grammar :/_


	14. Part 2, Meeting Father Paul

**England February 1940**

 _BAM!_

Kat slammed the letter down on the mahogany table, unable to look at it any longer.

"So…not good then?" Rick asked, looking up from cleaning his gun on the other side of the room.

"My cousins are out of school now! They had to pay for all the damage done to their store and now my cousins can't go to German schools. They are allowed **\- 'ALLOWED'** to keep their bookstore for now, but for how long I don't know! Their neighbors got kicked out to make room for more 'Aryan' tenants. I asked them to come for just a visit and they said they can't, do you know why? Because they got their driver's licenses revoked! And they think it was just a misunderstanding!" Kat yelled, fists clenched at her sides.

"We going to get them?" Rick asked as Evie walked into the room, looking around.

"What's going on?" Evie asked.

"They still don't want to leave! They think it's just going to blow over! Do they think I'm stupid? I've been listening to the radio, and in Berlin especially they're arresting Jews-just for being Jews. Do you know what the rumors are?" Kat shouted, shaking all over.

Rick and Evie looked at one another, their expressions slightly concerned. Kat didn't pay attention as she continued, "Work camps! The rumors are they are arresting Jewish men and sending them to work camps! And they still don't want me to come and get them!"

Rick raised his eyebrows, "Kat-"

"-And how am I supposed to get into Germany now, I ask you? Do they think it's going to be easy when they finally decide things have gotten too bad? Do they think they are just going to be able to waltz out of there without a license?"

"Kat-"

"-What about me? They're rounding up Jews and sending them to work camps, do they really think that their daughter is going to be let back into Germany now?"

"Kat!"

Kat stopped talking, breathing heavily and looking up at Evie and Rick.

"Calm down, we've got a plan worked out, remember that idea we discussed?" Evie said.

"…Which one?" Kat asked, watching them as her body shivered with adrenaline.

"The one with the museum. We've already donated some of our collection to be put on display in Berlin. We're going to get your family, me and Rick." Evie said.

Rick holstered his gun, standing, "And the sooner the better."

Kat shook her head, feeling tears well up in her eyes, "It won't work, they're stubborn, they won't come with you."

Rick and Evie exchanged a look.

Kat frowned, sensing a hidden message between them, "What?"

Evie smiled, "Well, we've been thinking a lot about that and it was actually Jonathon who came up with an idea on how to fix that."

Kat blinked, they found a way to fix it?

"How?"

Rick smirked, "Well…it's not very conventional."

Evie nodded, "You're going to have to die."

Kat stared.

"Not in reality of course," Evie explained quickly, "but Jonathon was thinking that if your family thought you were dead, they'd come to your funeral…out of the country…for an extended period of time…and then wouldn't be able to get back into Germany."

Kat thought about it, her being dead would probably be enough to get them to leave, and if they were travelling with the O'Connells the entire family could be smuggled out. It could actually work, except….

"They won't believe you." Kat said.

"Why not?" Rick asked, looking up at Evie, "We seem like pretty truthful people, don't we, hun?"

"No I mean, they'll be expecting a ruse like this. They know at this point that I'd do anything to get them out of there. And they know we're friends." Kat explained.

"Then what can we do to convince them?" Evie asked, brow furrowing in thought.

"Well…we could maybe…they wouldn't believe just anybody but they would probably believe a Rabbi." Kat mused.

"So…we'd have to smuggle a Rabbi into Nazi Germany?" Rick raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm sure any spiritual leader would probably do." Kat thought.

"Oh, what about Father Paul?" Evie asked, "He'd probably be willing to do it, if it meant saving your family."

Rick nodded, "Worth a try."

Kat frowned, watching them, "…I didn't think you knew any spiritual leaders." The O'Connells were a very religious family the entirety of Kat having known them. Evie grew up learning about Ancient Egyptian beliefs, Rick was raised some sort of Christian but he was never practicing and Alex had always ever gotten anything religious from Kat's own Jewish upbringing.

Rick looked up at Evie, "Well, we had to do some re-thinking of things lately."

Kat turned to Evie, who gave a small smile, "I had some questions that needed answering after our little trip to Ahm Shere, Father Paul was able to help me."

"Alright then," Kat said, not really caring much who they got as long as it meant her family would be getting out of Germany, "we'll go ask Father Paul."

* * *

 **Germany**

Imhotep looked up as the candle blew out, darkening his work space. There had been no draft in the room.

He sat up stiffly, forgetting the work he had started on the contractors he was assigning to build a new factory in Munich.

It was happening again.

Suddenly hundreds of claws were scraping his legs, like dogs frantically pawing. Imhotep stood quickly, knocking his chair backwards. He brushed at his legs, but it made no difference as the clawing continued. A pig squealed in the distance, then louder and louder until it was as if it were right in front of him. Imhotep covered his ears to block the sound, grimacing. Dark shadows crept around the edges of the room, their black shapes contorting and twisting as they stalked around him.

Imhotep quickly took a hand off one ear and dug into his shirt, taking out an amulet of Anubis. He held it up, chanting.

The invisible pig squealed louder and louder.

 _Thump. Thumpthumpthump._

Blows like fists started to pound into his back. Wincing, he chanted louder but the pig squeal kept rising in volume and the blows started to get stronger.

 _THUMP!_

"Argh!" A blow hit him so hard he dropped the amulet and stopped chanting as he staggered on his feet trying to keep his balance.

Then everything stopped. Imhotep looked around, his legs tingling from the sensation of the claws stopping, ears ringing from the squealing. The shadows had disappeared and he was alone again.

Imhotep panted, digging a kerchief out of his pocket he dabbed at the cold sheen on his face.

It was getting worse.

Slowly he hoisted the chair back up and sat down in it. He relit the candle and took a deep breath with eyes closed, frowning. He knew what was doing it.

He had always invited the underworld to share part of his body, it was how he had acquired the power he needed. It gave him foresight and success. Letting the darkness possess him made it possible to continue to keep coming back from the netherworld, at least that's what they told him, but it came at a cost.

And the cost was growing more heavy as his power was becoming less.

He shook his head, feeling silly, all the priests of Anubis faced this. Because of the curse of the Hom Dai it was that much more pronounced for him, but possession was just one of the hazards every Egyptian priest or priestess faced at one point or another.

He took up his pen, clenching it tightly in his fist. It was only going to get worse.

Many priests had even been killed back in ancient times from the beatings or suicides that resulted from it. He shook his head again, focusing back on the papers in front of him. It didn't matter to him, there was no cure anyway once you had given yourself to the blackness, and he wasn't sure he wanted one. The Egyptian spirits had promised him power and they would bring him back if died anyway, and hadn't they? He was alive now because of them, what did he have to worry about outside a few beatings every now and then?

Imhotep smiled, thinking himself silly. He was wasting time thinking about it, he had work to do.

His face drained of color as he saw another shadow twisting and creeping in the corner of his vision. He promptly scooted his chair to one side, back facing it, and tried to focus on the work in front of him.

* * *

 **England**

"Hello, Father Paul!" Evie greeted as they stepped into the office room.

"Howdy Father." Rick nodded.

"Ah, O'Connells, very glad to see you, very glad! I got your message. This must be Kat?" A short, skinny man wearing all black with a traditional white color stood up from his desk, smiling.

Kat smiled politely. He reached out a small hand and Kat shook it, unable to stop herself from thinking that this little man couldn't have been more than 90 pounds sopping wet, and he was going to be the one the O'Connells thought would save her family, "Nice to meet you."

"Now I've been filled in on the situation for Rick and Evelyn here, your family is stuck in Germany and you'd like some help getting them out, correct?" Father Paul asked, sitting back down.

Kat resisted the urge to check under the desk to see if his feet were even able to reach the ground from the chair, "Well, not exactly. They don't want to leave, and now they can't. We were hoping that if they thought I was dead they'd be willing to leave the country and then wouldn't be able to get back in and well, they'd listen to a religious leader otherwise they'd know I was faking."

"Hmm…you say they live in Germany? Are they aware of what is happening around them?" Father Paul asked.

"They're in denial." Rick said.

"I see. We've had problems with the Church there too, some priests are being taken to work camps under the accusations of anti-Nazi sentiment, along with many Jewish men. The Rabbis there are having even greater difficulties. It can be an easy thing to want to deny, but it is the reality." Father Paul said, shaking his head slightly.

"As for what you ask, I cannot lie to your family to get them to leave. And even if I did, what is to prevent them from trying to get back?"

"We'll convince them to stay, once they are out they'll be safe!" Kat said, standing up. "And so what if it's a little lie, if it will save their lives?"

Father Paul watched her quietly, as she stood clenching her fists above him. He turned his head and dug something out from one of his drawers, placing it on the desk in front of them, "I cannot lie, but then if you want my help, I will not have to."

Kat frowned, looking at the pamphlet on the desk, "…?"

"I cannot tell your family that you are dead if you are not. However, the Church has a long history of converting souls through the journey of growing closer to God, a process that can be termed 'dying to sin' or 'dying to self'. If you are willing to sit for some classes on the Catholic Church and what she teaches, I can truthfully write a letter bearing my seal that you are, in fact, 'dying'. If at the end of the lessons you do not wish to convert, that is completely up to you, but in order for my words to be truthful, this is the process I would most heartily recommend." Father Paul stated.

Kat looked down at the pamphlet, then back up at Father Paul, "…So…I wouldn't…I wouldn't have to convert if I did this, right?"

"Not unless you wanted to." Father Paul said, watching her carefully, "Evie has told me you are Jewish. We respect the Jewish people as the first people God revealed Himself to and hold that the Jewish people belong to the Community of the Church."

Kat slowly slid the pamphlet off the desk, looking at it, "And if I go to these 'lessons', you'll tell my family that I'm dying and they need to come?"

Father Paul smiled, his thin lips spreading wide, giving him the impression of a mischievous child, "Well dying to self should certainly be a family affair worth celebrating, I'd like them to get here as soon as possible for that, wouldn't you think?"

Kat inspected the pamphlet, it looked like they offered classes once a week. That wasn't so bad. And as long as she wasn't expected to convert at the end of it, and it would get her family out of Germany….

"Alright, fine. I'll respect that you can't lie if you're going to help us...if you'll respect I'm not going to convert at the end of this." Kat said.

Father Paul smiled, "God gave us all free will so as to choose to do what we believe is right, I can ask no more of others than to exercise that. Informedly, of course."

"So you'll do it?" Rick asked.

"Yes." Father Paul nodded.

"Great. We'll have to get everything ready." Rick said, looking at Evie, who nodded. They rose and shook hands with Father Paul. They exited the office but Kat lingered.

Father Paul lifted his eyebrows, "Something on your mind?"

Kat bit her cheek, unsure of how to say it.

Ever since that day she had been stabbed, things had gotten a little strange for her. She had tried to ask one of her Rabbi's about it in Italy but…that conversation hadn't turned out so good.

"What…what is your Church's stance on…reincarnation?" Kat ventured, uncertainly.

Father Paul watched her closely, "An interesting question, and one similar to another asked recently."

"The problems with reincarnation are manifold and dangerous. God tells us we can only truly die once and we are judged right afterwards. As in the case of certain individuals whose heart stops beating and then are brought back, they can claim to have been dead, but yet they were not judged. So what does this mean? Simply that our ideals of death differ from God's ideals. You may recall that Enoch and Elijah are still in a place of waiting until God brings them back for their mission here on Earth, they are not on Earth, but yet they are not dead. Lay faithful and Saint alike have testified at having seen spirits of those who have died back on Earth, though usually they have already been judged and are filling out their Purgatory time or have been sent back with a message for us." Father Paul explained.

"The reality of the matter is this: Reincarnation is not a reality that the Church recognizes as it involves the re-giving of a life after death, teaching that we are not to be judged eternally and there is no afterlife, but only this one that we would be constantly reborn into. Heaven help us all when a comet strikes or the Sun goes out if Earth was truly all we had. We believe in life after death and the resurrection of the body at the End of Time, which is different than being constantly reborn after dying again and again." Father Paul said.

Kat frowned, "Well…what if…what if…." She didn't know how to say it.

Father Paul cocked his head to one side thoughtfully, "What if someone had memories from an ancient time and place that couldn't possibly be explained in any other way than reincarnation?"

Kat blinked. Yes. That.

He smiled, "Hypothetically would this person have been reborn by a separate set of parents, or gone to a place of waiting like Enoch and Elijah without actually having been judged as they would have had they died?"

Kat blinked, she had been in that strange place, without a body, for a long time. The light place, with the music. But then, that didn't make sense, she had parents she was trying to smuggle out of Germany, didn't she?

"What if this person has parents in this time?"

"Biological? Or Adopted?"

Kat swallowed. It had never been a topic for discussion. "A-adopted?"

Father Paul nodded, "Well, this person would probably not have been born again, as opposed to awakened from their original body, if such a body was not taken up to a waiting limbo sort of place. I'd imagine this person's memories would have only started in this day and age after they woke up, maybe having some degree of amnesia about times before now? If of course we are talking about an event that happened in a similar way that I've recently ran into."

Kat stared. She had remembered growing up throughout the European countryside, but only after about what her parents deemed to be sixteen years old. Amnesia was an understatement, and something she had never shared with anyone outside her family. Whenever it was brought up, they said she had had an accident falling off a ladder and that was the end of it. She knew her earliest memory was of her family, but by then they had she was a teenager. She had roamed this world for really only a few years with actual memory of it in this time frame, just a few years before she met the O'Connells. Had she really been asleep before then? For thousands of years? How could a body last that long? Wouldn't she have rotted and turned to dust? Could her parents have lied to her about everything?

Father Paul was watching her, she looked up at him dazed. He sighed, giving her a half smile, "God works in mysterious ways, and not all are known to us. Fortunately, we know that He is Fair, Just and also Merciful, whatever and however He decides to allow things to be. Even if we do not always see how or why."

"This…this other 'event' that you mentioned. You're talking about Evie? She was a queen back in Ancient Egypt." Kat asked, her throat feeling tight and funny.

Father Paul nodded briefly, "It can be disconcerting to feel like you are two people living in one body, instead of one person with extra memories of how things were before you remembered yourself. But I can guarantee you that reincarnation is not a driving factor behind it, rather a poor explanation of the mysterious. And a rather dangerous one at that. Did you know that there have been demonic possessions linked to the belief of reincarnation?"

Kat frowned, "Demons are real too?"

"Quite. Possessions are of course different than mental illness, which the secular world seems to have confused it with. Actual possessions can be brought on by dabbling in things that would make one believe they have powers or insight into the future or reincarnation." Father Paul smiled, "But I don't want to scare you out of attending our lessons, if you wish to learn more I can certainly teach you, but perhaps we should save that for later, hm?"

Kat looked back down at the pamphlet, maybe there would be some interesting things in these lessons, if Father Paul was teaching them, "Yeah, sure."

* * *

 _Writer's note: Aaaand that's a wrap! So I know I've had a lot of different religious ideas throughout this story, but I think this explanation should tie things up the best. I wanted to clarify before things went any further in the story now that we are going to meet Kat's family soon, and now that Imhotep is back in the picture. As always I try to make my stories as accurate as possible and Exorcists have claimed that reincarnation beliefs can actually cause possession, and since I don't want my readers getting possessed because of me, I just want to make it clear what this story is about in terms of reincarnation: that it hasn't actually happened and is a dangerous thing. If it's something you personally believe in and take offense to I'm sorry to offend you personally, but I also personally cannot support that belief and hope we can still look past that to be friendly to one another. I love all my readers, but all my readers don't have to love me if they feel so inclined. So again, just to clarify, I do not promote reincarnation and this story isn't about it. It's more about possessions and a limbo world of waiting. I have also looked into stories of actual possessions and want to be as factual as I possibly can in terms of how they are described, so Imhotep is going to be in for a bumpy ride. This is actually a very pivotal bit of information for the progression of the story as well, and you will see why later on. I did, after all, warn you that it was going to take a darker turn ;)_


	15. Part 2, Museum

**In Rick's 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special Sedan**

"We're almost to the border, you ready, hun?" Rick asked, glancing to the passenger seat, where Evie sat in a classy green dress collared with mink fur and complimenting hat.

"Yes," Evie said adjusting the gloves on her hands before pulling the forged identity papers out of her emerald clutch, reviewing them again, "I still think we should have rented a more spacious car though."

"The Cadillac can handle this just fine, it has 'six passenger comfort' and with the two kids sitting on laps this will be nothing." Rick responded, stroking the wheel casually.

Evie gave him a look with a raised eyebrow, "So after we stop off at the Museum, we'll be heading for a place to lay low for a few hours before we pick up Kat's family. Where do you want to go? We can check out the restaurants?"

Rick continued to look at the road, "We'll be going somewhere to eat…? That sounds like a _date_."

Evie smirked, "If you can call _this_ a date."

Rick shrugged, "We're on the brink of a world-defining war, about to enter hostile territory as smugglers and save the lives of people we've never met before…throw in some sand and a couple mummies and I don't think we could make this any more romantic."

Evie rolled her eyes and started to apply some red lipstick to her smiling lips, "I think we may be different from other couples, darling."

"Nah."

* * *

 **England, Father Paul's Office**

Kat raised her eyebrows, "I didn't know that Catholics followed the ten commandments too."

Father Paul nodded, "Yes, we follow Moral Law, not Kosher Law. Moral Law encompasses all of God's teachings as relevant to everyone, whereas Kosher Law is just for the Jewish peoples to become closer to God…like how Catholics have Holy Days of Obligation, but others are not required to participate. That's where a lot of confusion comes in when reading the Bible- particularly about cutting hair for some reason, which has nothing to do with Moral Law."

"Oh." Kat said, if nothing else she had actually learnt some things that she hadn't known about before from this class.

"And that should conclude our lesson for today. Not so terrible, was it?" Father Paul said, eyes twinkling.

"No, it was actually pretty neat." Kat said, standing up. She bit her lip, thinking, "…Father, you know Evie and Rick are probably in Germany by now."

Father Paul hopped off his large chair to stand, "Yes, with my letter. Are you worried?"

"…What if they can't get my family to leave with them? Or what if most of them stay behind? Or what if even one stays behind?" Kat tugged at her braid.

"Physically you have done everything you can, pray and do not worry, whatever happens now leave in God's Hands." Father Paul said.

"…How?" Kat asked, exasperated.

"Even if things do not work out the way you think they should, trust that it still is because He who is so kind and gentle allowed it. There is always more that we do not see or could not know that He does. We also must not forget that He gives us the chance to change His plans, but He still doesn't abandon us." Father Paul pointed out.

Kat sighed, "Yeah, well, I'm still…anxious."

 **CRASH!**

"Ah!" Kat shrieked as the door burst open.

Father Paul stood up immediately, his eyebrows raised.

A figure dressed in black flew into the office. For the briefest of moments Kat's heart stopped, seeing familiar black fabric. _Was it? Could it be?_

 _Imhotep?_

But in the next moment she realized her mistake as her eyes locked onto the shiny black eyes surrounded by tanned, tattooed skin. Ardeth, dressed in a black robe, had been the first to burst in to the office as Alex and Jonathon rushed into the room after him.

Ardeth's black eyes bore into Kat's large ones, "We have a problem."

* * *

 **Germany- Berlin**

The O'Connells looked up out of the car window at the German Historical Museum as Rick pulled up to the doors. The building was white washed stone and lined with many windows. From the roof, at least a dozen carved statues stared back down at them.

"Well," Rick said, parking the car under the impressive building, "I guess this is the place. I'm not so sure about leaving my guns back in the car though."

"You don't need them in the museum." Evie said, as Rick placed his holster in the glove box.

"Never hurts to be prepared." He said, almost sulkily.

Evie adjusted her hat before opening her door, "So we go in, smile for a picture as we shake some hands, and be _charming_ to the Germans, dear." She stepped out of the car.

"You said that with a tone." Rick hurriedly opening his door to face her, "You don't think I can be charming?"

"Your American manners can lack a bit, darling." Evie said, joining him on the outside of the car.

Rick pointedly jutted his arm out like a gentleman, eyebrow raised "Meaning your English manners will be more 'charming' to the pompous, upper class of Germans?"

Evie wrapped her arm around his, saying, "You can be a bit harsh to people we meet."

Rick shrugged as they walked up to the doors, "Well you know, it can be hard to have decent conversation over tea with living dead mummies or Fascist parties. All they can seem to talk about is taking over the world, and new world orders. It just gets so dull after a while."

Evie gave him a look as they opened the doors, "Please, don't bring up the Nazi Party. At. All. Or anything about mummies outside of what we donated here."

Suddenly Rick's arm stiffened and he stopped on the polished tiled floors of the museum, "That might be a problem."

Evie frowned, "Wha-"

Her voice stopped suddenly as she looked before them to see a giant, marble statue of an angel towering in the center of the floor. Leaning coolly against it was a man dressed all in black, the Nazi swastika symbol glaring from his shoulder. He smiled as their eyes met his shining ones.

" _O'Connells_."

Immediately grey uniformed officers closed in on them in a circle.

Rick's finger twitched towards his empty hip, where his holster would have been. Evie's eyes narrowed, red lips pulling back as she snarled, " **You!** "

Imhotep casually pushed himself off the statue and sauntered towards them, his black boots echoing across the tiled floors of the museum.

"You just can't seem to stay dead, can you?" Rick deadpanned as Imhotep stopped before them with an easy smile on his lightly tanned face. As if he were meeting amusing old friends.

"The O'Connells do not easily die either. I had counted on it." Imhotep replied in almost perfect English, marred only with a slight accent.

Evie felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as he spoke. This sinister, immortal creature that had killed her father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, and tried repeatedly to kill both her and the rest of her family in current times was again standing before her.

"What are you doing here?" Evie spat out.

Rick eyed the Nazi uniforms around him, noting the swastika on Imhotep's uniform as well, "What do you want?"

Imhotep clasped his gloved hands behind his back, eyes shining, "I allowed you to take something of mine. Now, you will give it back."

"We don't have the Book of the Dead. It was lost in Ahm Shere." Evie retorted scornfully.

Imhotep raised his eyebrows mildly, "Book? I think not."

He walked to stand directly in front of Evie, Rick shifting slightly.

"I do not think you came here simply to make a deposit to this museum." Imhotep extended one black-gloved hand, palm up, gesturing to Evie's clutch with his eyes.

Evie's grip tightened on the green material, glaring.

Imhotep cocked his head to the side slightly, smirking.

Immediately an officer grabbed Evie's arm, yanking the clutch from her grip.

"Hey!" Rick shouted. Before he could move two officers grabbed his arms, he jerked one arm free and punched an officer in the face before an _extra_ two restrained him with some effort as he struggled.

An officer placed the emerald clutch in Imhotep's open hand.

Imhotep glanced from the O'Connells down to the clutch, opening it and pulling out a wad of folded papers. He lifted an eyebrow, amused, "Identification papers?" He scanned them, an eyebrow lowering slowly. Evie felt Rick tense beside her, Imhotep was holding in his hands false information about Kat's family that they had planned to use to smuggle them out of Germany and into England as German workers-allowing them to keep their property, assets and any money in their bank accounts should they request them once safely in England and they realized they would not be able to reenter the country as Jews.

He looked back up, "Friends of yours? Illegal documents such as these can be…costly."

Rick and Evie stood tall, looking Imhotep dead on. Rick spoke, "You said you wanted something, what is it?"

Imhotep smirked, "My slave."

* * *

 _Writer's Note: Heh, I like ending chapters like that. Wow, it's been awhile...sorry about that. Any who, thought I'd give y'all a late Hanukkah present and an early Christmas present in the form of a new chapter. I hope everyone is having a great Holiday season!_


End file.
